By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday alleged the government has pushed the entire Northeast into chaos and complete breakdown of constitutional machinery and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of compromising the country’s internal security and territorial integrity.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala at a press conference questioned the silence of the prime minister, saying the responsibility lies at his doorstep and he must answer the nation.
He asked where the Modi government was when there are war-like hostilities between states ruled by BJP-NDA and when miscreants are attacking the convoy of Meghalaya Governor and militants firing through the streets.
“The Modi government has pushed the entire Northeast into chaos and there is complete breakdown of law and order and constitutional machinery in multiple states. The prime minister and the home minister are guilty of criminal culpability on compromise of internal security and India’s territorial integrity,” he told reporters.
He cited examples of violence in states like Assam and Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh and alleged that uncertainty, conflict, violent clashes and unchecked lawlessness have marred large parts of the Northeast.
The situation is beyond alarming, he said and demanded that the prime minister and the home minister answer the nation.
Surjewala said with the media preoccupied with Afghanistan events, “the government is pushing a divisive Hindu-Muslim narrative the entire Northeast is boiling. There is an alarming situation developing there.”
“Shockingly and sadly, the Modi government and Home Minister Amit Shah remain oblivious to the goings on in Northeast.
This completely indifferent, criminally aloof ‘hands-off-approach’ of BJP government also emanates from its illegal and often divisive usurpation of power in many Northeastern states and a blind lust to latch on to illegitimately formed governments, bereft of consequences for the country,” he said.
The Congress leader said this abdication of constitutional duties and “failure to intervene to restore even a semblance of order and rule of law goes against national interests and territorial integrity of the country”.
Surjewala claimed this is total “failure of responsibility” to maintain internal security on part of Shah.
“If the government of India will be privy to such violent clashes between police of two states, turn a blind eye to run through of militants in a state capital, remain incognizant of daylight attack on a governor’s convoy, sound deliberately uninformed about a ‘peace accord’ signed by it which now claims ‘shared sovereignty’ outside of India’s Constitution and stay ignorant about occupation of our territory by a foreign power, then it is greatest disservice to India’s ethos as a nation by those responsible for protecting India’s territorial integrity,” he said.
He demanded answers from the prime minister on repeated police firing, violent clashes and deaths on the border of Assam-Mizoram, despite both states being run by BJP-NDA.
“What are the prime minister and home minister doing? Why does a war like situation remain between two neighboring states of the Indian Union? Why has government of India abdicated its responsibility,” he asked.
Surjewala also questioned the government’s role in the breakdown of law and order in Meghalaya saying it is “deeply distressing”.
He said gun-totting militants in jeep waiving black flags have been running amock through the capital Shillong and the residence of the chief minister was attacked with petrol bombs and a 98-hour curfew had to be imposed with internet shut down.
He said on August 17, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik’s carcade was pelted with stones, even though the NPP government of Meghalaya is part of NEDA-NDA.
On Nagaland, he said the entire peace process and the Naga Peace Accord and the so-called ‘framework agreement’ of August 3, 2015 remain in the realm of speculation and hearsay, as NSCN(I-M) refuses to accept the Nagaland Governor R N Ravi as the Centre’s interlocutor.
“What is even more worrying is the fact that NSCN(I-M) claims that Modi government has signed the agreement with them for ‘shared sovereignty’ outside the four corners of the Constitution.
They have even released a copy of this agreement.
“Can a prime minister or home minister sign an agreement outside the Constitution. Yet, the prime minister continues to remain silent,” Surjewala said.
The Congress leader also claimed China constructed a 4.5-km-long village on the banks of River Tsari Chu in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district and it “continues to defy by rebutting our claim on Indian territory, but the prime minister is still silent”.
