Congress slams Modi's 'violence decreasing' statement on Manipur crisis
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments in the Rajya Sabha on the conflict in Manipur. In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh remarked that Modi's claims of normalcy were "astounding," noting that the PM still had not visited the crisis-hit state. "Today...after months of absolute silence on the issue, the non-biological PM made the astounding claim that the situation in Manipur is normal," he said.
Violence decreasing, schools reopened: PM on Manipur
While replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the PM said violence in Manipur was decreasing and most schools in the state had reopened. He also said the government is working to restore peace in the state. To recall, on Tuesday, in the Lok Sabha, the opposition MPs relentlessly chanted "Manipur, Manipur" and "We want justice" during the PM's speech. The PM did not address the issue in the Lok Sabha.
Opposition accuses PM Modi of ignoring Manipur crisis
In his post, the Congress leader added, "In actuality, the situation is still tense as the MP from Inner Manipur pointed out in the Lok Sabha on 1st July." "And the non-biological Pradhan Mantri has still not visited Manipur since it erupted on the night of May 3rd, 2023...nor has he met with the political leaders of the state. The President's Address too was silent on the issue," he said.
Read Ramesh's post here
Congress criticizes government's handling of Manipur crisis
During his Rajya Sabha address, PM Modi announced that 500 people had been arrested and 11,000 FIRs filed in Manipur. However, the Congress criticized the government for not allowing the second MP from Manipur to speak. Notably, on Tuesday, Congress MP from Inner Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, stated that the Modi government's silence was unusual and demonstrated to the people of Manipur that they were not important to the nation.
PM accuses Congress to politicizing sensitive issue
PM Modi responded to these criticisms in Parliament, accusing the opposition of politicizing the sensitive issue. He stated that his government is committed to restoring normalcy in Manipur and highlighted that President's rule had been imposed 10 times in Manipur under previous governments. PM Modi also mentioned that Home Minister Amit Shah had spent several days in Manipur as part of efforts to restore peace.
