Sonia, Rahul flay 'failure' to consult states on ga pact

BJP reacts quickly, says Congress playing 'obstructionist politics on an issue of tiol security'

New Delhi, Aug 6: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government on the ga peace accord, but the BJP rejected the charge and accused the opposition party of "playing politics on a tiol issue".

"We are really shocked that the prime minister (rendra Modi) didn't even think of taking into confidence the chief ministers of Manipur, Assam and Aruchal Pradesh, which are the directly affected states," Sonia Gandhi told reporters in the parliament complex.

"It is the arrogance on part of this government. How can an accord be signed without consulting the chief ministers that are directly affected, even if the accord is being termed as historic," she asked.

"I have no doubt that it may be historic, but what about consulting our chief ministers?" Sonia Gandhi said.

"Their arrogance is now even more clear. It is not just an insult to the chief ministers but to people of the states and the federal structure of the country," the Congress president added.

Rahul Gandhi termed the government's move to sign the pact with the tiol Socialist Council of galand (NSCN-IM) an "insult" to the people of Manipur, Assam and Aruchal Pradesh as they were not even informed about it.

"It's an insult to every single citizen in these three states and it's an insult to the people of India the way this government works," he said. The Bharatiya Jata Party denied the Congress charge and accused the opposition party of playing "politics even on the issue of tiol security".

"Gandhi's charges are far from the truth as the Congress-ruled states were consulted, but they chose to boycott the meeting," union minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a press conference here.

"How can the Congress chief question the accord when its party leaders, including Ninong Ering and Assam chief minister welcomed it soon after the announcement," she wondered.

The minister said the rendra Modi government believed in co-operative federalism and always consulted states on every issue, including land acquisition and Goods and Services Tax bills and even on the reconstitution of tiol Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.

Sitharaman also showed to the media copies of tweets from Congress chief ministers.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi tweeted: "I appreciate peace in galand n welcome settlement of ga issues. But I will oppose tooth n il any move that affects Assam's interests. To allay apprehension of the people, the prime minister should make his stand clear that the ga peace accord does not affect the interest of Assam..."

Aruchal Pradesh Chief Minister bam Tuki wrote on his Twitter account: "Welcomed the initiative of the Centre to bring a peaceful solution to the prolonged ga political issue."

However, Tuki deleted his tweet later. IANS