The first thing Prime Minister Narendra Modi should do is to sack Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said on June 26 as he questioned Mr. Modi’s silence on the violence in the State.
No amount of propaganda by the BJP government could cover up its abject failure in handling the Manipur situation, Mr. Kharge said.
Taking to Twitter, the Congress chief said that reports indicated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had finally spoken to Mr. Modi on the Manipur situation. “For the last 55 days, Modi ji did not say a word on Manipur. Every Indian is waiting for him to speak. If Modi ji is really concerned about Manipur, then the first thing he should do is to sack his Chief Minister,” Mr. Kharge said.
The Congress president asked the government to confiscate stolen weapons from extremist organisations and anti-social elements and urged it to start talk with all parties to find a common political path.
“End the blockade with the help of security forces. Ensure the availability of essential commodities by opening and keeping the national highways safe,” he said. Stating that the relief and rehabilitation package announced was grossly inadequate, the Congress chief asked for a new package of relief, rehabilitation and livelihood for the affected people without any delay.
“No amount of propaganda by the BJP and Modi government can cover up their abject failures in dealing with [the] Manipur violence,” Mr. Kharge said.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, who had met members of the Manipur Tribals’ Forum, shared a three-page memorandum and tweeted, “Besides the points made in it, they stressed that the incumbent CM Biren Singh should be removed immediately for any progress to happen towards dialogue and reconciliation”.
On Sunday, the Manipur Chief Minister had briefed the Union Home Minister in Delhi and had maintained that the State and the Centre had been able to control violence in the State. Since May 3, over 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities in Manipur.
