Headlines
BJP rushes to correct northeast 'immigrants' mistake
New Delhi, Feb 3
Under attack from the Congress, an embarrassed BJP Tuesday rushed to
correct its "mistake" of terming the northeast people as "immigrants" in
its Vision Document, saying "the brothers and sisters of the northeast
are the pride of Delhi".
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) move
came after the Congress asked if the BJP considered people from the
northeast like foreigners.
Congress campaign chief Ajay Maken,
while releasing the party manifesto, asked: "Does the BJP want to say
that the northeast is not part of the country?"
Maken said that
at a time when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was visiting
China, which lays claim to Arunachal Pradesh, was it proper for the BJP
to come out with a vision document terming the northeast people
"immigrants".
He asked the BJP to rectify the error and apologise to the country.
"We will not tolerate that the BJP does this (refer to the northeast people as immigrants)," he said.
BJP spokesperson M.J. Akbar later said the party was withdrawing the word "immigrant" and that it was "mistakenly used".
"The
brothers and sisters of the northeast are the pride of Delhi. The word
was mistakenly used. We withdraw the word, and we repeat that their
(northeast people's) welfare is as important as that of any citizen of
Delhi and the country," he said.
BJP leader and Minister of State
for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is from Arunachal Pradesh, said the
word was a "typo" and a "clerical error".
The BJP's Vision Document for the Delhi election has a statement that says "North eastern immigrants to be protected".
The
reference to people from the northeast comes as there have been many
incidents of attacks on people from the region in Delhi.
But besides the word "immigrants", the Vision Document has several other similar "clerical errors".
The document says it is a "comprehensive document covering all aspects, authored by a very experienced senior Delhi BJP team".
While it contains a list of 37 assurances, a close look shows a botched numbering process.
After
it reaches no.22 in the list, the numbering goes awry, and again begins
from no.16 and goes on to no.37. In effect, it is a list of 44
assurances, but the party says "over 35".
When the second time no.20 is listed, it vaguely says "Miscellaneous".
The
BJP also does not refer to statehood for Delhi, which party leaders had
assured in their speeches if the BJP is voted to power in the Feb 7
Delhi elections.