The Congress party recently criticized the BJP over the absence of several MLAs from the ruling NDA at a meeting called by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh. They raised concerns about whether Home Minister Amit Shah was noticing the signs of the escalating situation.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress’s communications head, also questioned how much longer the people of Manipur would have to endure the “excruciating agony” caused by the ongoing crisis. Despite the Manipur Assembly having 60 MLAs, only 26 attended the meeting convened by the chief minister in Imphal on Monday night.
Among these, four were from the National People’s Party (NPP), whose national president had already withdrawn support for the current chief minister by addressing a letter to the BJP. “The signs are unmistakable, but is the Union Home Minister, who has been given full responsibility for the state, acknowledging them?” Ramesh said in a post on X.
Congress urges Prime Minister Modi to visit Manipur before Parliament session begins (Photo: Congress and PM Modi/Twitter)
This came after a meeting of the BJP-led NDA in Manipur, where a resolution was passed calling for a swift response against Kuki militants responsible for killing six people in Jiribam district. Out of the 27 MLAs present, seven were absent for medical reasons, while 11 did not provide an explanation for their absence.
In light of the continued violence in Manipur, the Congress urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state before the Parliament session begins later this month. The party also demanded the resignation of both Shah and Chief Minister N Biren Singh, accusing them of failing to address the crisis.
Ramesh emphasized that Modi should meet with an all-party delegation from Manipur before the session starts on November 25 and hold a national-level meeting. He also criticized Modi for focusing on international travel while Manipur has been in turmoil since May 3, 2023, and called for the prime minister to visit the state and engage with local leaders and relief camps.
The violence continues to rage in Manipur, with Congress and BJP offices being attacked in Jiribam, and several BJP legislators’ homes being set on fire. The unrest has prompted the imposition of an indefinite curfew in Imphal Valley, and security forces have prevented protesters from storming the chief minister’s ancestral residence.
The Congress party has intensified its criticism of the prime minister for neglecting the state and of the Centre for mishandling the ethnic violence that has resulted in the deaths of over 220 people and the displacement of thousands since May 2023.
