 "Rahul Gandhi's statement on RSS baseless: BJP Mizoram's leader Fanai")
After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) "are instruments for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to enter" the northeastern state, BJP spokesperson Lalremsangi Fanai termed Gandhi's statements as "baseless".
"This is his statement. Every party has its own agenda. Our party has made it clear that we will contest on our own. Other parties - ZPN and MNF - also stated that they are fighting them alone," the BJP leader said.
When asked about Congress's governance record in Mizoram, Fanai said that people will be the final arbiter after seeing Congress rule in the state.
"We have seen the Congress Government. For the last so many years they have ruled the state, we have seen it...People will decide," she added.
BJP leader Pratyush Kanth said, "Rahul Gandhi says anything. Most of the time I don't take him seriously because most of the time he can say anything without understanding what he is saying. To understand the Northeast, he has to spend time in the Northeast, read about the Northeast, and understand the people of the Northeast. Stop talking like a dynast."
In his two-day visit to the state, Gandhi expressed confidence about the party's chances in the Mizoram assembly polls. Gandhi had said that the assembly polls on November 7 were about defending the idea of Mizoram.
"Both the parties ZPM (Zoram People's Movement) and MNF (Mizo National Front), are instruments for BJP and RSS to enter the state (Mizoram). Congress party can never be an instrument to enter (state) because we are ideologically completely against the BJP," he said.
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"This election is about defending the idea of Mizoram. It is about protecting your freedom, tradition and religion. Please ensure that the BJP's game is foiled! The Congress has fought the BJP-RSS truth and nail. It is the party that is most aggressively attacked by the BJP," he said. In the 2018 elections, Mizo National Front won 26 seats with a vote share of 37.8 per cent. Congress bagged five seats and BJP won one seat.
On Tuesday, the Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections in Mizoram, promising the reintroduction of the old pension scheme, LPG cylinders at Rs 750 for poor households and a health insurance cover of Rs 15 lakh per family for cashless treatment at hospitals.
The Congress in its 12-page manifesto said it would strengthen grassroots democracy by giving more power, responsibilities and financial resources to the village councils and local bodies, if voted to power.
Counting votes in all five states will occur on December 3.