NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday launched a fresh round of attack against Prime Minister Modi for not visiting Manipur, the northeastern state marred by ethnic violence for the past 16 months.
In a reference to Prime Minister Modi’s perceived role as a “peacemaker” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked why the PM can’t be the peacemaker by visiting the northeastern state when he is going “all over the world” trying to do the same.
“The PM is going all over the world trying to be the peacemaker. Why can’t he be a peacemaker by going to Manipur?” he told news agency PTI.
The sharp response by the Congress leader came after chief minister Biren Singh promised to fully restore peace in the state in six months with Centre’s help.
Chief minister Biren Singh in his interview to PTI defended the Prime Minister by saying, “The PM may not have come but he has sent his home minister. And PM has so often spoken about Manipur, even from Lal Qila on Independence Day…and whatever is being done here in terms of security, funding etc, is under his leadership only. In a complex situation a PM coming was not necessary.”
However, Congress leader rubbished the chief minister’s argument and called his justification “unacceptable” and “indefensible”.
“The people of Manipur want the prime minister to come to the state and the prime minister has not gone. It is an extraordinary situation, he has gone all over the world but he has not found to go to Manipur even for a few hours,” Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said adding that 16 months have gone by and there has been no peace, no harmony, no reconciliation, no semblance of normalcy in Manipur.
The Congress leader also claimed PM Modi has not met Singh and asked whether the chief minister can say that he has had a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister in New Delhi.
“Has the PM met the elected representatives of Manipur, he has not. The answer that the people of Manipur gave to all these bogus claims being made by the CM is the fact that in both Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur, the Congress has won and the BJP has lost (in the Lok Sabha polls) and they have lost by a good margin,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP from Inner Manipur constituency Angomcha Bimol Akoijam accused the Prime Minister of attempting to normalise the disorder in Manipur by staying silent on the deepening divide in the state. He said the Prime Minister should initiate the healing process by visiting the state and ending the violence.
“He should say that now he will work. Past is past. His citizens would not be used as guinea pigs in this kind of violence,”Angomcha Bimol Akoijam said.
(With input from agency)
In a reference to Prime Minister Modi’s perceived role as a “peacemaker” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked why the PM can’t be the peacemaker by visiting the northeastern state when he is going “all over the world” trying to do the same.
“The PM is going all over the world trying to be the peacemaker. Why can’t he be a peacemaker by going to Manipur?” he told news agency PTI.
The sharp response by the Congress leader came after chief minister Biren Singh promised to fully restore peace in the state in six months with Centre’s help.
Chief minister Biren Singh in his interview to PTI defended the Prime Minister by saying, “The PM may not have come but he has sent his home minister. And PM has so often spoken about Manipur, even from Lal Qila on Independence Day…and whatever is being done here in terms of security, funding etc, is under his leadership only. In a complex situation a PM coming was not necessary.”
However, Congress leader rubbished the chief minister’s argument and called his justification “unacceptable” and “indefensible”.
“The people of Manipur want the prime minister to come to the state and the prime minister has not gone. It is an extraordinary situation, he has gone all over the world but he has not found to go to Manipur even for a few hours,” Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said adding that 16 months have gone by and there has been no peace, no harmony, no reconciliation, no semblance of normalcy in Manipur.
The Congress leader also claimed PM Modi has not met Singh and asked whether the chief minister can say that he has had a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister in New Delhi.
“Has the PM met the elected representatives of Manipur, he has not. The answer that the people of Manipur gave to all these bogus claims being made by the CM is the fact that in both Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur, the Congress has won and the BJP has lost (in the Lok Sabha polls) and they have lost by a good margin,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP from Inner Manipur constituency Angomcha Bimol Akoijam accused the Prime Minister of attempting to normalise the disorder in Manipur by staying silent on the deepening divide in the state. He said the Prime Minister should initiate the healing process by visiting the state and ending the violence.
“He should say that now he will work. Past is past. His citizens would not be used as guinea pigs in this kind of violence,”Angomcha Bimol Akoijam said.
(With input from agency)
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