IMPHAL: Congress in Manipur on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit the strife-torn state and restore peace and normalcy at the earliest. Senior Spokesperson of Manipur Congress Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi already visited (June 29–30) Manipur and talked to the cross-section of people and inmates in the relief camps, but the Prime Minister did not find time to visit the state. “Prime Minister visited different states of the country and abroad frequently, but he avoided visiting Manipur despite the ethnic troubles going on for about five months,” Meitei, also an AICC member, told the media.
He said that state assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, several ministers, many MLAs, and leaders of ‘Youths of Manipur’ have either visited New Delhi or campaigned in the national capital to meet the Prime Minister to apprise him of the state’s situation, but Modi refused to meet him. The Congress leader asked Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister so that a delegation from the state can meet with him, and the Congress MLAs are ready to accompany the delegation.
The Congress spokesperson said that his party always wanted the territorial, political, and financial integrity of Manipur. Since the ethnic riot started on May 3, the Congress has been demanding to impose the president’s rule in Manipur. Thousands of youths under the banner of ‘Youths of Manipur’ recently held demonstrations in Imphal, and their representatives met the Chief Minister and urged him to take legal action against the 10 tribal MLAs (seven of them are BJP) who are demanding a separate state for the tribals.
After the demonstrations, many MLAs of the ruling BJP and a few ministers went to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and discuss the state’s situation. (IANS)
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