Manipur situation: Congress asks PM Modi to visit state; demands Amit Shah's resignation

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the PM must first meet an all-party delegation from Manipur and then also call an all-party meeting at the national level ahead of the Parliament session starting November 25.

New Delhi: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "outsourcing" the management of Manipur solely to the Home Minister, Congress on Monday demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over surging violence in the north-eastern state, claiming that his "singular achievement" was protecting Chief Minister N Biren Singh from ouster and not people in the state.

While reiterating the demand for the Chief Minister's ouster, Congress also demanded that the Prime Minister visit Manipur immediately, meet an all-party delegation from the state and then also call an all-party meeting at the national level before the start of Parliament's Winter Session on November 25.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) said, "from May 3, 2023, Manipur is burning and Modi visits various countries, gives sermons, but could not find time to visit Manipur. So, our first demand is that he should take time out before the Parliament session to visit Manipur and meet parties, politicians, civil society groups, and people in relief camps there."

Pressing for Shah's resignation following the "double engine government's complete failure", Ramesh said at a press conference along with Manipur Congress chief K Meghachandra Singh and Manipur in-charge Girish Chodankar that the Prime Minister has in the past 18 months "outsourced" Manipur affairs to the Home Minister, who is having a "jugalbandi" with the "failed" Chief Minister.

"Why is the Home Minister not taking cognizance of the Chief Minister's failures and why has he been trying to save him?...The Home Minister must resign. The double-engine government has derailed. The Home Minister is directly in charge of Manipur...The singular achievement of the Home Minister is to protect the Chief Minister. He has not protected people, women, children and families," he said.

He also said the state, which has been witnessing ethnic violence-hit since May 3 last year, has "no full-time governor" after Anasuiya Uikey was transferred to Madhya Pradesh and additional charge given to Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya since July 30. "Before that an ST person (Uikey) was governor but she was removed within 18 months. We demand that immediately a full-time governor be appointed," he said.

To a question on imposing President's Rule in the state, Ramesh asked whether there was a government in the state. "The Home Minister is running the government. The state cabinet does not have any responsibility," he said, indicating that the union government is calling the shots even without a formal proclamation of President's Rule.

Singh said there is "unprecedented violence" and "complete anarchy" in Manipur, which is witnessing a "horrific human tragedy". He said, "there is no law and order at all. It is really very painful what the entire people of Manipur have to endure. Abductions of innocent people and killing of innocent people, particularly women and children, is very unfortunate."

Recalling Modi's statement on 25 February, 2017 when violence erupted in the state when Congress was in power that those who cannot ensure peace in Manipur have no right to govern the state, he said he wanted to ask the Prime Minister whether the "double engine government" was ensuring peace in the state.

"Manipur is a state in the unit of India, so why is the PM neglecting the state of Manipur. Manipur is becoming a forgotten state by this Modi regime. Modi never speaks about Manipur. There is a total failure of law and order. The Chief Minister has no right to continue. I want to urge the PM to immediately visit Manipur and give an appointment to Manipur leaders, including BJP ministers and Congress leaders," he said.

Calling the violence in Manipur a "tragic byproduct" of the double engine government, Chodankar said, "the state has become headless. It has failed to protect the lives of people. There is no leader who can take out the state from this violence and unrest. Frustration is leading to abduction and violence. It is an indication of the failure of the double engine government and also a humanitarian crisis prevailing there," he said.