Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi , Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh today accused the Gandhi scion of using the Citizen Amendment Bill (CAB) to provoke the people of Northeast by issuing misleading and mischievous statements.

Dr Jitendra Singh alleged that Congress has lost its support base in the eight States of the North Eastern region and now Rahul Gandhi is looking for crutches with the support of a handful of disgruntled groups to revive its fortunes against the rapidly increasing influence of BJP. However,he said, this game-plan will never succeed because people today are awakened enough not to be taken in by the Congress jugglery, which is why the Congress party has got reduced to its present dismal strength in the Lok Sabha.

In a hard hitting rejoinder to Rahul Gandhi’s statement andTweet wherein the Congress leader had described “Citizenship Amendment Bill(CAB)” as an attempt by Modi-Shah Government to ethnically cleanse the NorthEast and had alleged that it was a criminal attack on the North East, their wayof life and idea of India. Dr Jitendra Singh tweeted “Look, who is talking !Could somebody tell Mr Rahul Gandhi that, as Prime Minister, Narendra Modivisited North East more than 30 times in his first 5- year term, may be morethan the total number of visits by all the Congress Prime Ministers puttogether in over 50 years. Prime Minister Modi’s outreach bridged the gapcreated by successive Congress Governments in the past”.

In continuation in the second Tweet, Dr Jitendra Singh madea dig by saying “even though Dr Manmohan Singh was an MP from Assam, yet it wasnot he but Narendra Modi who, as Prime Minister, travelled to Shillong toattend the North Eastern Council (NEC) Plenary meeting, the last time any PMdid that was nearly 40 years ago. That was the extent of criminal neglectsuffered under Congress”.

Retorting to Rahul Gandhi’s attack, Dr Jitendra Singh said,“on the contrary Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) brought North East closer tothe constitutional ethos of India. Remember, before 2014, several crimesreported against North East youth in other parts of India. The Modi government,in fact, consolidated foundation of our nation by eliminating discriminatorydistinctions like mainland, hinterland etc.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, DushyantChautala called on Dr Jitendra Singh and paid his regards during his maidenmeeting after the formation of the new government in Haryana.

Chautala also discussed with Dr Jitendra Singh some of theissues of immediate concern in the State of Haryana and sought cooperation forthe same.