Modi govt’s priority PR stunts, not national security: Kharge
The remarks of the Congress chief came in the wake of a media report which claimed that China is building 90 villages along Arunachal Pradesh border.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, holding him accountable for the spiraling violence in Manipur following the recovery of six bodies in Jiribam district.
The discovery of the bodies, believed to be of six missing women and children, has sparked violent protests across the state, with mobs targeting the homes of BJP leaders, including ministers and Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s son-in-law, Rajkumar Imo Singh.
Kharge, in a statement posted on X, lambasted the BJP government for its alleged inaction and divisive politics.
“Under your double-engine governments, ‘Na Manipur Ek Hai, Na Manipur Safe Hai.’ Since May 2023, it has been undergoing unimaginable pain, division, and simmering violence, which has destroyed the future of its people,” he wrote.
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The Congress leader accused the BJP of deliberately allowing the state to burn, claiming that at least 17 people had lost their lives since November 7
“You have failed Manipur—a beautiful border state. Even if you visit Manipur in the future, the people will never forgive or forget that you left them to fend for themselves,” Kharge added.
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The recent unrest was triggered by the discovery of the bodies, believed to be those of six women and children missing since November 11, near the confluence of the Jiri and Barak rivers along the Manipur-Assam border.
Protests quickly escalated, with angry mobs attacking the residences of three ministers—Sapam Ranjan Singh, Leishangthem Susindro Meitei, and Yumnam Khemchand Singh—and six other legislators.
Vehicles were torched, and properties were ransacked in Imphal East and Imphal West districts.
In response, authorities imposed an indefinite curfew across Imphal Valley districts, including Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching. Internet services have also been suspended to prevent the spread of misinformation and further unrest.
Heavy deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), paramilitary personnel, and state police have been made to maintain order as tensions remain high.
The violence marks yet another episode in the ongoing ethnic strife between Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities that has gripped Manipur since May 2023, leaving thousands displaced and nearly 300 killed.
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