GUWAHATI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP government freed Manipur from curfews, blockades and insurgency, and ensured peace, progress and prosperity in adjoining Nagaland.
After inaugurating some projects in Manipur, Shah said highway blockades, which were common in the state earlier, had become a thing of the past. Ridding the state of the blockades was a key promise of the BJP ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.
The Union Home Minister claimed the BJP governments at the centre and in Manipur tamed insurgency and added that the state has been witnessing a new era of peace and progress.
Shah also unveiled the tallest Tricolour of the Northeast at the INA headquarters at Moirang in Manipur. The Tricolour is 165 ft tall and was first hoisted at the region in 1944.
"Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and the Azad Hind Fauj led by him took excruciating pains for India’s freedom. The unveiling of the tallest Tiranga is a befitting tribute to the legendary leader and all brave hearts of Manipur who fought for our Independence," he said.
The Narendra Modi government is committed to honouring the true heroes of the Indian freedom struggle, so that the coming generations can know about their sacrifices, he added.
Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 21 projects worth approximately Rs 1,300 crore in Manipur. One was the historic “Kangla Nongpok Thong” (Kangla Eastern Bridge) in Imphal. It was destroyed during colonial rule.
He later visited election-bound Nagaland and virtually inaugurated five projects worth Rs 52 crore from Chumoukedima. Briefly speaking at a function here, he highlighted the Centre’s various initiatives for Nagaland and the rest of the Northeast.
"All states of the Northeast are on the road to development because of Modiji’s efforts. Once, the entire region was known for the insurgency. Today, it is known for peace and development. The Northeast is now connected physically as well as emotionally with the mainland," Shah said.
He added that the PM himself took several initiatives to mainstream the region. He said the central funds for Nagaland were increased four times in the last eight and half years.