Amit Shah appeals to communities in Manipur to work for peace, says politicising issue is “shameful”

New Delhi [India], August 10 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, while speaking on Manipur violence in Lok Sabha appealed with 'folded hands' for an end to the three-month-long cycle of violence in the state and urged Kuki and Meitei communities to hold talks saying violence cannot be a solution to any problem.
“Come and hold talks. I urge both communities to sit with the Centre and talk to resolve the issue. We do not wish to change the demography. Violence is not a solution to any problem. I assure you that we will bring peace to the state. Politics should not be done on this issue,” Amit Shah said.
During the debate on the no-confidence motion after Rahul Gandhi, other opposition leaders slammed the government's handling of the Manipur situation, Shah urged them not to politicise the issue of ethnic violence in the state.
Shah also said that the unrest in Myanmar in 2021 caused the ethnic conflict in the north-eastern state and political instability in the neighbouring country had prompted thousands of refugees to flee into Manipur across a porous border.
The February ruling by the High Court added “fuel to the fire”, he said.
"In 2021, the government changed in Myanmar and the military took over the governance there. The democratic government was toppled. Democratic Kuki Fund started demonstrating against the military there. Against the backdrop of their demonstration, the military started suppressing the community. Since there is no fencing there and we share an open border with Myanmar, people from the Kuki community came in large numbers in Mizoram and Manipur,” Shah said adding that the influx from the neighbouring country created “a feeling of insecurity” among the Meiteis.
He further said that the ruling of the Manipur High Court included people belonging to the Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
“On April 29, there was a rumour that the place where the refugees were residing, has been declared as a village which led to unrest in the valley. After this too, we ran campaigned and told people that there is nothing like that. Later, the ruling by Manipur High Court fuelled in the fire. The court took up the petition suddenly without taking consent of the Central government and state government and ruled to include the Meitei community in the Tribal. Without any legal proceeding, the verdict was given. On May 3, the clashes erupted during a rally,” Shah said.
In his over two-hour reply, Shah ruled out a change of guard in Manipur saying that the chief minister was cooperating with the Centre in the efforts to restore peace.
“A state CM needs to be changed when he is not cooperating. This CM is cooperating with the Centre,” he said.
Shah also referred to the video of the May 4 incident, in which two women were stripped and paraded naked by the mob, that appeared on July 19, saying the government was not aware of it.
"I agree with the opposition that there is a cycle of violence in Manipur ... Nobody can support such incidents. Whatever happened is shameful, but to politicise those events is even more shameful,” Shah said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also appealed for peace in the state.
Amit Shah also gave a detailed response on what led to violence in Manipur and the measures taken by the government to control the situation in the state.
Speaking during the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Shah told parliament that the violence was slowly decreasing, as nearly 36,000 military and paramilitary troops have been deployed in the state.
He said his ministry was “keeping a very close watch to ensure peace”.
“We will do it in the shortest possible time,” he said.
Appealing to the Meiteis and Kukis, he said: "Please leave violence, come and talk to India... Come and talk to us together.”
Shah also slammed the Opposition for not having a discussion over this ‘sensitive’ issue.
“From day one I was ready for the discussion on the Manipur issue but Opposition never wanted to do a discussion. If they would have not been satisfied with my points, then they should have demanded the PM’s statement. But, the Opposition was not ready to have the discussion,” Shah said in the Lower House.
He further said that during the past six years of the BJP government in Manipur, there was never a requirement for a curfew.
“The opposition doesn't want me to speak but they can't silence me. You have to listen to me. 130 cr people have elected us so they have to listen to us...It has been almost six years since BJP formed a government there. During the past six years of our government, the need for a curfew never rose,' Shah said while speaking on the no-confidence motion in the Lower House.
Amit Shah also said that Tahawwur Rana, an accused of the 26/11 Mumbai attack will face the Indian judiciary soon.
Shah highlighted the measures taken by the Modi government to curb terrorism and Naxalism.
“We banned PFI in the country and conducted raids at over 90 locations in the country. Cases regarding attacks on our missions in London, Ottawa and San Francisco were handed over to NIA (National Investigation Agency). 26/11 Tahawwur Hussain Rana will also soon face the judiciary in India,” Shah said.
Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in the Mumbai attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing over 160 people, including six Americans, at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
“In the view of internal security, there used to be three hotspots- Kashmir, the region of Naxals and Northeast and it continued to be the same for years. We changed our policies towards Kashmir in 2014. From 2014 to 19, Rajnath Singhji was Home Minister, and after that, I became Home Minister. We eradicated terrorism in the region,” Shah said.
"Naxals limited to only 3 districts in Chhattisgarh now...," he added.
Hitting out at the previous government at Centre, Shah said that the UPA government was there from 2004 to 2014 and terrorists would just enter across the border and cut our soldiers' heads off, no one did anything about it.
“Article 370 was a mistake by the Jawaharlal Nehru government. It was abrogated by this parliament on August 5 and 6, 2019. With that, two flags and two constitutions were gone from Kashmir and PM Modi ensured its complete integration into the country," he added.
He further said that there is a request to have a discussion with the Hurriyat, Jamiat and Pakistan, but the Centre will not do so.
“We will talk to the youth of Kashmir valley, not Hurriyat, Jamiat and Pakistan. Youth of valley are our own and we will talk to them. Funeral processions are no longer taken out for terrorists and they are buried where they are killed,’ Shah said.
Shah, while hitting out at the Opposition for moving a no-confidence motion against the Modi government, said that the motion was only to create a delusion despite having a majority in the House and termed it as "politically motivated".
“The Prime Minister has given new hope to the poor of this country. Nowhere in this country is there a whiff of no-confidence. There is not a no-confidence in the PM and this government in the country. People have complete faith in PM. This no-confidence motion has been brought only to create a delusion.... This no-confidence motion is politically motivated," Amit Shah said while participating in the debate on No-confidence motion in Lok Sabha.
Amit Shah further said that after independence, it is the only PM Modi led-government which has won the trust of most people in the country and added that PM Modi is the most popular leader who works tirelessly for the welfare of the people.
“After Independence, PM Modi's government is the only one which won the trust of most of the people. PM Modi is the most popular leader among the public...PM Modi works tirelessly for the people of the country. He works continuously for 17 hours a day, without taking a single leave. People trust him”, the Home Minister said in the House.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the motion on tomorrow. (ANI)