'BJP deliberately wants Manipur to burn': Kharge

New Delhi: As fresh violence erupted in Manipur, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged the ruling party deliberately wants the border state to burn as "it serves their hateful divisive politics".

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled his poll rallies in Maharashtra in view of the escalating violence in Manipur.

Kharge said the people of state will never forgive or forget that Prime Minister Narendra Modi left them to fend for themselves and never set foot in their state to heal their miseries.

"@narendramodi ji, Under your double engine governments, 'neither Manipur is one, nor is Manipur Safe'," the Congress president said in a post on X.

"Since May 2023, it is undergoing unimaginable pain, division and simmering violence, which has destroyed the future of its people.

"We are saying it with utmost responsibility that it looks that the BJP deliberately wants Manipur to burn, for it serves its hateful divisive politics," he said.

Kharge said at least 17 people have lost their lives since November 7, adding new districts are being added to the list of strife-torn regions and the fire is spilling over to bordering northeastern states.

"You have failed Manipur a beautiful border state. Even if you visit Manipur in future, people of the state will never forgive or forget that you left them to fend for themselves, and never set foot in their state to heal their miseries and find a solution," the Congress chief said.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also termed the recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur "deeply disturbing".

He urged Prime Minister Modi to visit the state and work towards restoring peace in the region.

In a post on X, Gandhi said the recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur is deeply disturbing.

"After more than a year of division and suffering, it was the hope of every Indian that the Central and state governments would make every effort at reconciliation and found a solution," the former Congress chief said.

"I urge the PM once again to visit Manipur and work towards restoring peace and healing in the region," he said.

AICC general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, said the "ongoing surge of violence in Manipur shows the extent to which matters have gotten out of control".

"The killings have once again become an everyday occurrence and the mobs rule the streets," he alleged in a post on X.

"When even ruling party MLAs are not safe in Manipur, how can the ordinary citizen have any hope for peace? The crisis has spiralled out of control simply because of the PM and Home Minister's active choice to fuel the politics of hatred," he said in his post.

"The HM is busy campaigning, while the PM is off to yet another foreign visit while Manipur burns again. It is our urgent plea to the Centre to restore peace in Manipur at the earliest," the Congress leader said.

A day after the bodies of three out of six missing persons were fished out of a river in Manipur, the protesters on Saturday attacked the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs, prompting the government to clamp prohibitory orders in five districts for an indefinite period besides suspending internet services in parts of the state.

In Imphal, angry protesters ransacked the houses of three legislators, including that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's son-in-law, and set their properties on fire even as the security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the agitators.