Imphal: After being denied a party ticket for the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha Election, Union Minister of State for Education and External Affairs, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, clarified that he did not feel betrayed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a conversation with EastMojo, Singh revealed that he did not seek a ticket for the ensuing Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, despite being the present sitting MP for the inner seat.
He said that there was no question of denying ticket. “I belong to the Modi ka Parivar which is quite a popular momentum in the country. Moreover, the BJP is a family and whatever the head of the family decides is, by tradition, we have to accept it,” the MP said.
He further said that the seat of a Member of Parliament is not his dynasty or property and that one day or the other, he would retire from active politics.
As a representative of the people, he said that he always maintained the interest of the people of Manipur and is always precautious about the state’s image at national and international levels.
Ranjan also claimed that in the first two years of his tenure as an MP, before he became a union minister, he was awarded as one of the best parliamentarians as per assessment by some of the groups.
However, he alleged that some “whimsical and bad journalists”, who were not familiar with the rules and procedures of the Parliament had recently announced him as one of the worst performers in the Parliament.
Regarding his parliamentary performance, Dr Ranjan highlighted his consistent efforts in addressing issues concerning Manipur. Despite recent criticism from some quarters, he emphasised his track record of raising over 25 questions in Parliament regarding Manipur, including matters related to borders, environment, cultural heritage, conservation, including the conservation of pony along with Sagol Kangjei (polo).
As a member of the Council of Ministers in the parliament, he said that one cannot express everything or whatever is on their mind. “It is only as and when the MPs are asking relevant questions to my portfolio, I can respond accordingly,” he said.
He also expressed that he was the first person to plead about the inclusion of Meitei mayek (language) script in the Constitution of India.
“The idea of Manipur which was created some 20 years back is about share history and equal contribution by all the communities living in the state. Even the Manipuri language spoken in the state is a composition of all the 34 ethnic communities. If anybody who disturbs, disrespect and dishonour of the idea of Manipur, they are the real enemy of the state,” said Singh.
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Sharing a memorable moment as an MP, Singh recalled that PM Modi had once asked his observation about northeast region to which he shared that the border villages in the region has to be vibrant under the ideology of the BJP and delivery be made to the last mile.
Reflecting on one of his memorable moments as an MP, Dr. Ranjan shared an interaction with Prime Minister Modi regarding the development of the Northeast region. Singh said that he had responded about sharing the importance of a vibrant governance reaching the last mile, particularly in border villages.
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