Mallikarjun Kharge and PM Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI File Photos
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over continuing violence in Manipur, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asked him to sack BJP's "incompetent" Chief Minister Biren Singh as a first step to control any further turmoil.
With the the entire nation "shocked" by "horrific images of students being targeted", Kharge said Modi "does not have time to visit" Manipur even though people have been suffering for the past 147 days.
"It is now apparent that violence against women and children was weaponised in this strife. The beautiful state of Manipur has been turned into a battlefield, all because of the BJP. High time, PM Modi sacks BJP's incompetent Manipur Chief Minister. This would be the first step to control any further turmoil," he posted on 'X'.
On its official 'X' handle, the Congress tweeted, "The recent murder of two students who went missing in July has shocked the entire country. The situation in the state is not improving. In such a situation, the BJP government of the state should be dismissed immediately. It is also clear that PM Modi is not concerned about the people of Manipur, he is only concerned about his image. He is just busy with campaigning for elections".
The party also demanded that Modi call a meeting of all parties to find a solution to the problems in Manipur.
Addressing a press conference, senior Congress MP and Congress Working Committee member Gaurav Gogoi said, "We want Prime Minister Modi to call a meeting of all the parties and to find a solution to the problems in Manipur. If journalists want to report the truth then an FIR is filed against them. When the truth started appearing on the internet, they shut down the internet for five days. How long will this continue?"
He asked how much more evidence the Prime Minister needed to see before deciding to intervene. He too demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister.
"When will he (Modi) order the Chief Minister of Manipur to resign from his post? The BJP government in Manipur has failed to secure the lives of women and children. Neither are soldiers or policemen safe there. But PM Modi is so trapped in the illusion of his own image that he cannot see the real situation on the ground," he said.
Gogoi alleged that the Prime Minister has shown his back to Manipur and has not gone to the state in the past five months though violence is still ongoing. "Has the country made Narendra Modi the Prime Minister just for publicity's sake? We want to know how many times Modi himself has talked to Biren Singh in the last five months," he added.
Congress MP and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram wrote on X, “In fact, the CM is the problem because of his incompetence and bias. The first step toward restoring normalcy in Manipur is to remove the government and the chief minister.”
“I have learned that 2000 Meiteis staying in Senapati district were forcibly driven out of the district. Ethnic cleansing has spread from the capital to the districts whether they are dominated by the Meiteis or the Kukis. The central government has switched off Manipur. It may have even lost count that 145 days have passed since the cycle of violence started on May 3, 2023,” he added.