Tezpur (Assam): Manipur Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his remarks on Manipur were not true and that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi loves the north-eastern state.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Meghachandra said, "Myanmar's political instability and open international border are the main causes of unrest in Manipur. Rahul Gandhi loves Manipur, he has respect for the people of Manipur so he has come back to violence-ridden Manipur."
Meghachandra made the remarks while visiting Jiribam district to welcome Rahul Gandhi. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about Manipur in his Rajya Sabha speech are not true because Manipur is still in the midst of violence," claimed Meghachandra.
According to Meghachandra, this is the third visit of Rahul Gandhi to strife-torn Manipur since the violence started in 2023. "He has come to Manipur as the Leader of the Opposition after winning the Lok Sabha elections because he loves Manipur," quipped the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee chief.
"After the violence in the Jiribam district on June 6, thousands of people were displaced and many are taking shelter as a refuge in the Cachar district of Assam. On May 3, 2023, violence broke out after a rally by the tribal student organisation Tribal Soliditary March in Manipur. It was followed by the burning of houses of the Meitei community in Manipur. The incident has been intensifying for a year and so far 60,000 people have been displaced and are currently in shelters, Meghachandra said.
"It is not possible for a person to stay in this pre-fabricated shelter forever and one person died by suicide on Saturday (July 6)," Meghachandra said. He further said the Manipur issue is an international issue and its solution must be resolved internationally - the border issue with Myanmar - but the Centre has not taken any action on it.
Meghachandra maintained that Manipur is in turmoil due to political instability in Myanmar and free infiltration across the international border. He alleged that the Centre has not made any effort to resolve the international open border issue.
Rahul Gandhi visited Jiribam and took stock of the latest situation in the state.
