“PM does not feel need to go to Manipur”: Sharad Pawar hits out at centre

Thane (Maharashtra) [India], July 29 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar spoke out against the Government at the centre in a public event in Navi Mumbai and said that the Government at the Centre has not attempted to contain the violence in Manipur and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not even felt the need to visit the north-eastern state to console people.

“After such a big crisis that has befallen a state (Manipur), it is the responsibility of the people ruling it to fight the crisis head-on, assure its people and try to bring unity to society and protect law and order. But today’s rulers have not even looked in that direction. After all this has happened in Manipur, the country’s Prime Minister does not feel the need to go there and console the people,” Sharad Pawar said in his address on Sunday.

Pawar said that while people from different communities in Manipur used to live in harmony with one another, at present they are not even on speaking terms with one another.

“A few days ago, Manipur was mentioned in someone’s speech. It was discussed in the country’s Parliament. People of different religions, castes and languages of Manipur came to Delhi to meet us and told us that this small state that used to live together in harmony has now become disturbed. There is conflict between two communities, differences between people have been increased, agriculture has been destroyed, and even bloodshed has taken place with women. People who once lived in harmony with each other are not even ready to talk to each other today,” the senior NCP-SCP leader said.

The violence erupted in the northeastern state on May 3 last year following clashes during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.

Earlier in June, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a holistic review of the security situation in Manipur in a high-level meeting here in the national capital and directed to ensure that “no further incident of violence takes place” in the northeastern state.