IMPHAL: Manipur Pradesh Congress President on Thursday said there was complete failure of the law and order in the State where normalcy has not yet been restored and pointed that the “double-engine government has become the triple-problem.”
Keisham Meghachandra Singh, President of Manipur Pradesh Congress, said: “The present situation is that normalcy has still not been established in Manipur. The double-engine government has not been able to control the situation here. We do not have any expectations from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief minister N Biren Singh. There is a complete failure of law and order.”
BJP has however said that the visit by the Congress leader is merely political opportunism.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya in a tweet said that Rahul Gandhi is “no messiah of peace just a political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling.”
“Not once did Rahul Gandhi visit Churachandpur in Manipur between 2015-17, to meet the victims of ethnic violence, that raged following Congress CM Okram Ibobi Singh Govt’s decision to pass three Bills – the Protection of Manipur People’s Bill, 2015, Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, which were seen by the people of Churachandpur district, comprising mostly of Paites and Kukis, as ‘anti-Tribal’, and a ‘conspiracy’ by the majority Meitei community to grab Tribal land,” the tweet read.
Malviya said that nine young men were shot dead and the protesting communities refused to cremate them for two long years.
“Why didn’t Rahul Gandhi visit Manipur then? He is no messiah of peace just a political opportunist who wants to keep the pot boiling. His visit to Manipur is not borne out of concern for people but his own selfish political agenda. There is a reason no one trusts either him or the Congress,” Malviya alleged.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) Incharge North East, Ajoy Kumar today said that the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take a lesson from Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Manipur.
Rahul Gandhi arrived in Imphal today on a two-day visit during which he is scheduled to visit relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur.
Ajoy Kumar said that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party has always been raising the Manipur issue.
Talking to the reporters here, the AICC In-charge said, “Rahul Gandhi and Congress party has always been raising the Manipur issue. Rahul Gandhi believes that the country needs to know about the plight of Manipur.”
He also said that law and order have failed in the state and the double-engine government has become the triple-problem government.
“There is total law and order failure in the state right now. The double-engine government has become the triple problem government. Rahul Gandhi will be meeting the people of the state and I think the government should take a lesson from his visit,” Ajoy Kumar said.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had earlier tweeted giving details of Rahul Gandhi’s visit. “Rahul Gandhi will visit relief camps and meet people displaced by the ethnic clashes and also interact with representatives of civil society in Imphal and Churachandpur during the visit”
He tweeted that the Manipur had been “burning for nearly two months” and “desperately needs a healing touch so that society can move from conflict to peace”.
This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate,” said Venugopal.
Congress leader and Working President of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Kh Debabrata said that “Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Churachandpur, about 65 km from Imphal and will meet people staying in the relief camps and spend time with the affected families.”
Debabrata said that Rahul will also have lunch with the affected people and later in the afternoon, Rahul will visit Moirang and will interact with the affected families in the relief camps and Civil Society Organisations, women’s groups, and other stakeholders, Debabrata.
He will return to Imphal and stay overnight and next morning he will meet leaders and CSO leaders.
“Ordinary people , both sides are tired, they are really tired and they want normalcy to return,” the MPCC leader said.
Ethnic clashes broke out in the State nearly two months ago on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Congress has been vocal on Manipur since the outbreak of violence started in the BJP-ruled state. It has been making scathing attacks against the BJP governments, both at the Centre and in the state of Manipur, over their handling of the violence. (ANI)