Imphal, Dec 31: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today sounded in chord with the Manipur People’s Party (MPP) and welcomed the Manipur’s oldest regional political party decision to join the pre-poll alliance of the opposition and to be part of NDA as an ally in the coming general election slated for January 28 next year.
This came after BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javedkar announced the party’s decision to go with MPP in the polls while talking to the media on the sideline of a one-day political conference at Uripok here on Saturday.
“Chief Minister Okram Ibobi now no more belongs to Manipur Assembly or the Secretariat and that now is the time for the Chief Minister to be in Tihar Jail with former telecom minister A. Raja who has been languishing in the prison on corruption charges”, Javedkar told the conference.
He said the chief minister is now afraid of BJP and fleeing from his own constituency even as he has lost the guts to contest the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections from his own constituency and other also.
Flaying Manipur Government for rampant black market, the BJP spokesperson accused the O Ibobi-led Government of encouraging extensive black marketing business where everything is found in the black market and not from retailers.
Earlier in the day, flanked by MPP president Dr. Nimaichand luwang, Javedkar while talking to the media said that Manipur will see to poll on January 28 and the day will be a turning point in the history of the State.
He said BJP has welcomed the MPP decision to join the alliance and to be part of NDA and added that the BJP and MPP will work together with other political parties in the State to defeat the Congress in the polls.
The saffron party leader also informed that all the non-Congress political parties will meet Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi in the first week of January next year put pressure on ECI to ensure free and fair polls in the State.The RJD and CPI (M) in the State have also shown their interest in joining the pre-poll alliance of the opposition parties.
A conference was held today at the residence of BJP Uripok candidate Dr N Nando. It is time to defeat the Congress party Javedkar said.
The pre poll alliance with MPP, JDU and RJD was formed to defeat the Congress. He charged that the government was not able to tackle the economic blockade.
There is no petrol, gas, essential commodities. Roads are in bad conditions. We need good governance he added.
“On the joyous occasion of the New Year, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens for a happy and prosperous New Year.
Governor, Gurbachan Jagat said, “May the coming year bring happiness to the nation and let us resolve to work with all dedication and a sense of pride in whatever activities we undertake”.
I warmly greet the people of Manipur on the occasion of New Year’s Day, 2012, and convey my best wishes to each and everyone – A Happy New Year – a year full of peace, happiness, harmony and prosperity.
New Year’s Day is a special occasion for making new resolutions for the coming year. While stepping into the new year, we should march forwajxl keeping always our .goalfixe^f irmly oRwher^we want otrr State to be in the future, by correcting the mistakes of the past. We should also reaffirm our resolve to support the forces of solidarity and harmony, setting aside the differences of caste, creed, language and religion. We should also resolve to fight and defeat the evil designs of divisive and destructive forces.
I hope and pray that the New Year will bring about peace, bonhomie and harmony in the lives of all the people of Manipur and also wish them, a very happy and hopeful New Year.
Chief Minister, O. Ibobi Singh said, I have great pleasure in greeting the people of Manipur on the joyous occasion of New Year, 2012.
The dawn of the New Year ushers in new hopes and expectations. It also gives us a chance to renew our resolve to strive for individual as well as collective well-being. Let us take a pledge on the eve of the New Year to strive towards building a more peaceful and prosperous Manipur. May this New Year bring peace, prosperity and Happiness to all.
Gaikhangam, Dr Meinya and others greeted the people on the occasion.
Major General UK Gurung, YSM, IGAR (South) and all Ranks of Assam Rifles extend very warm greetings and sincere goodwill to the people of “Manipur” and wish everyone a very Happy New Year. IGAR(South) also conveys his earnest message of peace, harmony, unity and understanding on this joyous occasion. He earnestly wishes that with this New Year all the goodwill brings us together, irrespective of caste, creed and faith.
To commemorate the New Year we all must take a resolve to weed out the inimical elements of the society and forge towards the path of unity, peace and prosperity. May the lord almighty bless us all with joy and Happiness and guide us in our endeavors towards building a strong and prosperous nation.
Maj Gen Binoy Poonen, VSM, GOC 57 Mountain Division and All Ranks of Red Shield Division convey a joyness New Year-2012 to all people of Manipur state. The Division wishes that the Year 2012 ushers an era of bonhomie, harmony and all round progression for all.
Imphal, Dec 31 NNN: Two unidentified persons today attacked the house of Manipur Health minister by exploding a hand grenade, injuring a woman at Pishumthong in Imphal West.
The incident occurred at around 6:20 this evening when two Dio scooter borne persons hurled a hand grenade which landed under a car and exploded outside the gate of health minister L. Jayentakumar, injuring one woman bystander. The assailants fled the area after the attack.
The injured woman has been identified as one A. Memcha, 45, a local who was rushed to the RIMS hospital. She was hit by the bomb shrapnel in the right abdomen.
The minister was not at home when the attack occurred as he was on an election campaign somewhere in his constituency. Two vehicles were also damaged.
The attack was a political plot and he has not received any threat from anyone, Jayentakumar told the media when asked if he has received any threat from militant groups.
It is suspected that the explosion was carried out by two scooter borne men who fled the scene after the attack.
I wish you all a peaceful, productive and secure New Year.
New Year’s Day is a day of resolutions. Each of us makes our own resolutions – to live a healthier life, to live a more honest life, to live a better life and to live a happier life. I sincerely hope in the New Year we can all work together with a new resolve: to make our homes and neighbourhood, our village or town, and our nation a better place to live in.
If each of us works towards that end, we can be sure that we are also making the world a better and a safer place.
The year that has just ended was a very difficult year for the world. Economic crises, socio economic tensions, political upheavals in many developing countries and political deadlock in some of the developed countries, all cast their shadow on 2011. A ‘revolution of rising expectations’, fostered by the extraordinary reach of the electronic media and the connectivity provided by new social networking platforms, has kept Governments around the world on their toes.
We in India have had our share of problems.
The Indian economy slowed down and inflation edged up. Concern about corruption moved to the centre stage.
We must not be too downcast at these events. All countries and economies go through cycles. We must remember that downturns are followed by upturns. Indeed, they are often a test of our ability to respond to new challenges.
The task before us is clear. We must address the new concerns that have arisen while remaining steadfast in our commitment to put the nation on a development path which ensures rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth. I want to assure you all on this New Year’s day that I personally will work to provide an honest and more efficient government, a more productive, competitive and robust economy and a more equitable and just social and political order.
I believe we have made more progress than is commonly realised. I am personally delighted that Government was able to introduce the Food Security Bill and the Lok Pal and Lok Ayukta Bill in Parliament. The Lok Pal and Lok Ayukta Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha. It is unfortunate that the Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. However, our Government is committed to the enactment of an effective Lok Pal Act. Taken together with the Right to Information Act, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Right to Education Act, these are legislative legacies that generations of Indians will come to value, appreciate and benefit from.
On this New Year’s Day I do not wish to dwell on the year gone by. Instead, I would like to focus instead on the challenges of the future, so that we can all work together to over come them.
Our biggest challenge today remains that of banishing poverty, ignorance and disease. Simultaneously, we must work to build an India that holds the promise of prosperity to the many millions of our people who are just beginning to emerge out of poverty. We must remain focused on this fundamental task in the Twelfth Plan period which begins in 2012-13.
As I look ahead I see Five Key Challenges facing the nation. To meet these challenges we need the concerted efforts of the central government, the state governments, political parties and indeed all concerned citizens.
First, there is the urgent challenge of eradicating poverty, hunger and illiteracy and providing gainful employment to all. I call this the challenge of Livelihood Security.
There are many steps we need to take to address this challenge and of these, the most important is to empower every citizen with the light of education. I say this with the deepest conviction because I know what education did for me.
I was born into a family of modest means, in a village without a doctor or a teacher, no hospital, no school, no electricity. I had to walk miles every day to go to school, but I persevered and was fortunate to be able to secure a high school education, and then go on to higher education. It is this access to education that transformed my life and gave me new opportunities which others with my background could not dream of.
I believe that educating our children, providing them with employable skills, while also ensuring their good health, must be our first and primary task. There is no better investment we can make in the future .