The Congress will launch protests in Dakshina Kannada from July 24 demanding the end of violence in Manipur, according to MLC K. Harish Kumar, who is also the president of the party’s Dakshina Kannada unit.
Addressing presspersons here on Sunday he said the protests will be held in taluk headquarters for three days from July 24. Later, a mammoth protest will be organised in Mangaluru on July 29.
“Manipur is burning since the past three months due to inter-ethnic clashes. Both the Manipur government and the Union government have failed to control the violence. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh should resign immediately,” he said.
Schools in Manipur have not been opened yet. Commercial and farming activities have been hit. Thousands of people have lost their homes in the violence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent over the violence. The protests by the Congress in Dakshina Kannada is to urge the Union and Manipur governments to provide security to the people of Manipur, Mr. Kumar added.
The MLC wanted to know why the two governments are not allowing the Opposition leaders to visit Manipur. “Why is the Prime Minister not able to control the violence in a small state like Manipur,” he asked.
To a question on Congress leader B. K. Hariprasad’s recent remark that he knew how to make or break a Chief Minister, Mr. Kumar, who also belongs to the Billava community, said the Congress-led State government had not done any injustice to Billavas or Idigas. He did not agree with the allegation of Mr. Hariprasad.
The MLC took objection to the behaviour of some BJP MLAs from the coastal belt, who were suspended from the Assembly last week. Through their behaviour, the suspended MLAs have insulted the voters of the coastal belt. Former MLC Ivan D’Souza was present at the event.
