Unforgivable, says Cong on PM's 'abject failure' in Manipur

Amid the recent escalation of violence in Manipur, the Congress on Monday demanded that Chief Minister N Biren Singh be immediately dismissed and the Union government take full responsibility of the sensitive security situation. The opposition party also said the Supreme Court-mandated Manipur Commission of Inquiry must expedite its probe. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "abject failure" in Manipur is "unforgivable". The Congress' assertions come amid fresh violence in which at least five people were killed in the state's Jiribam district on Saturday. According to police, militants entered the house of a person and shot him dead in his sleep.

Following the murder, there was a heavy exchange of fire between members of the warring communities, leading to the deaths of four armed men. Ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was earlier largely untouched by the ethnic clashes in Imphal Valley and adjoining hills, erupted in violence after a 59-year-old man belonging to one community was killed allegedly by militants of another community in June. In the past 16 months, Prime Minister Modi has not spent a single second in Manipur, even as violence continues unabated in the state and people suffer the consequences of "Modi-Shah's complicity", the Congress president said. "BJP's Manipur CM who has set a record in shamelessly brazening out his rank incompetence has reportedly demanded the transfer of the 'Unified Command' to the state government," he said. "Just like the PM, it looks like the Union Home Minister has also given up on his Constitutional responsibility to ensure security in Manipur, and is busy politicking and addressing rallies in election-going states," Kharge said. He said drone and rocket-propelled grenade attacks have begun, and this is now turning out to be a national security threat. In such a serious situation, the BJP seems to enact a resignation drama, he added.

Kharge said the Congress demands that there should be a massive crackdown on all kinds of insurgent groups with the help of the state forces, he said. "The Supreme Court mandated and monitored Manipur Commission of Inquiry into ethnic violence must expedite its investigation. Modi government must not misuse CBI, NIA and other agencies investigating the violence," Kharge demanded. "People of Manipur are asking, why doesn't Modi ji want to end violence in the state?" Kharge said. Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal said every time it appears as if Manipur might be returning to normalcy, "we see a fresh escalation in violence". Use of sophisticated weaponry like rocket launchers is shocking and completely unheard of, he said in a post on X.

The Centre's hands-off approach to Manipur is extremely dangerous and points to their tacit support to this violence, Venugopal said. Clashes between Meitei and Kukis has left over 200 people dead and thousands homeless since May last year when the ethnic conflict broke out.