New Delhi: The Congress party Tuesday morning submitted a 12-point memorandum to the President of India delineating a plan of action to curb the ongoing violence in Manipur.
A delegation of the party — led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and consisting of former chief minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh, state unit chief Keisham Meghachandra, and state in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, among other state leaders — met President Droupadi Murmu and handed over the memorandum.
Speaking at a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi after meeting Murmu, Ibobi Singh hit out at the BJP, alleging that the violence in Manipur had been orchestrated with a “hidden agenda”.
“I don’t know what the hidden agenda of the (BJP) state government and the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is. They (the state government) are not trying to identify the dead bodies and hand them over to the next of kin. If what happened in Manipur were to happen in any other state, the nation would burn. I don’t know what their intention is. Maybe they thought it’s a small state. Let them kill each other. What will happen?” said Singh.
Congress leaders from Manipur have also sought a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, currently on a four-day visit to the state.
“After campaigning in Karnataka, after 10 May, we thought they would immediately rush to Manipur. But it was only yesterday that Home Minister Amit Shah came to Manipur. I don’t know what the hidden secret agenda of the BJP is. But we would like to appeal to him, please save the people of Manipur,” he added.
ThePrint reached BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra via text but did not get a response at the time of publishing this report. The article will be updated if and when a response is received.
In the memorandum handed to the president, the Congress has requested “firm and sustained efforts” to control the violence between the tribal Kuki and non-tribal Meitei communities, and “for immediate restoration of peace, harmony, and normalcy”.
It’s the RSS/BJP’s politics of divide and rule that is responsible for the current crisis in Manipur. The last time Manipur burned was 22 years ago when BJP was ruling in the Centre. This time things have turned from bad to worse.
Today morning a delegation led by Congress… pic.twitter.com/3m5EEHxK8m
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 30, 2023
“The Union government must immediately take all possible measures to control and confine all militant groups (including those under SoO) and ensure that all armed civilian groups be stopped forthwith by taking appropriate action,” it added.
The party further suggested that villages near the foothills of the state of both the Kuki and Meitei communities must be covered with adequate security so that armed militants do not “intrude and disturb peace”.
It also asked for rehabilitation of displaced persons, immediate identification of those who are missing or have lost their lives and compensation for loss of life and property. A proposal was also made for the state government to take over the functioning of all relief camps and provisions to be made for education of displaced children in these camps.
A high-level inquiry commission, headed by a serving or retired SC judge, has also been proposed.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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