Congress’ Jairam Ramesh accuses PM Modi of continued silence on Manipur

New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): The Congress party on Friday targeted the Prime Minister as Manipur marked one year since violence had broken out in the state.

Congress’ RS MP Jairam Ramesh accused Prime Minister Modi of continued silence on the issues of the state.

In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said, “Exactly a year ago today, Manipur erupted – or more accurately, was made to erupt by the cynical and divisive politics of the ruling BJP. Even amidst this civil war-like situation, the Prime Minister has been eloquent in his silence. He has not met with the Chief Minister, the MLAs, or the political parties of the state. He has not visited Manipur even for a few minutes, even though he has been to Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh for his campaign.”

“Hundreds of people have been killed, thousands have been displaced, and Manipur’s communities now live in a deep-rooted suspicion of each other. Security forces themselves are routinely attacked and armed militias enjoying official patronage rule the roost. Even the Supreme Court has bemoaned the breakdown of Constitutional machinery in the state. What is astounding is that just fifteen months earlier in the assembly elections the BJP and its allies had received a thundering mandate. That mandate evaporated on May 3, 2023, entirely because of the BJP’s own (mis)calculations and manipulations,” he further said.

Criticising BJP government policies, he said, “The situation in Manipur today is the doing of the Modi Sarkar’s policy of ‘Bluff and Rule,’ which has characterised its actions in the Northeast. It is a shortsighted policy that prioritises stringing communities and stakeholders along for as long as possible, without meaningfully addressing their concerns. It has blown apart the social fabric of Manipur, and it is now blowing apart Nagaland as well. The voter turnout in six districts of Eastern Nagaland, which went to polls in Phase I of the Lok Sabha elections, was a very high zero – which even the Election Commission could not revise to a higher number. The PM has talked of trailers: Manipur is itself a trailer of what the BJP will do to our wonderful diversity.”

“During the no-confidence motion on July 26, 2023, the Prime Minister spoke on Manipur in very general terms, for no more than three minutes in a 123-minute long speech. For all practical purposes, the Prime Minister of India has abandoned the people of Manipur, at a time when they need him the most. He seems to have outsourced the management of Manipur affairs to his Home Minister, who has proved to be hopelessly inadequate, insensitive, and incompetent,” the Congress leader said.

Praising Rahul Gandhi and his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Jairan Ramesh said, “The pain and agony of the people of Manipur is the pain and agony of the people of India. Rahul Gandhi has visited Manipur twice in the last year, and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra began in Imphal on the 14th of January, 2024. Today is a day when we empathise with the people of all sections of Manipur society and hope that peace and social harmony will once again return soon.”

The violence in Manipur that saw clashes between Meiteis and Kuki erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023.

Violence gripped the entire state for several days and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control.