Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Manipur’s capital Imphal on Thursday for a two-day visit to the violence-hit state. He was received by former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and President of Manipur Pradesh Congress Keisham Meghachandra Singh at the Imphal airport. Rahul Gandhi on Thursday morning left from Delhi airport for Imphal.
During his tour, Rahul Gandhi would speak with refugees from the ethnic violence, stop by relief camps to see them, and engage in conversations with civil society leaders in Churachandpur and Imphal, according to Venugopal.
Conflicts that broke out at a rally called by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand that Meiteis be included to the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) caused violence to erupt in Manipur on May 3.
“Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Manipur on 29-30 June. He will visit relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur during his visit. Manipur has been burning for nearly two months and desperately needs a healing touch so that the society can move from conflict to peace. This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate,” said KC Venugopal in a tweet.
Meanwhile, former Manipur CM and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh appealed to the people of Manipur to maintain peace and extend cooperation during Rahul Gandhi’s two days visit to Manipur.
“We appeal to the people of Manipur, please maintain peace, calm and extend cooperation during Rahul Gandhi’s two-day visit…,” he says.
The Congress has been making scathing attacks against the BJP governments, both at the Centre and in the state of Manipur, over their handling of the violence. The party has already demanded the removal of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Notably, the Assam Rifles have evacuated over 50,000 displaced persons from all communities in violence-hit Manipur to date and provided them safe passage, shelter, food, and medicines. At the all-party meeting on the violence in Manipur, opposition parties questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” on the issue, but earlier on June 24, Home Minister Shah promised to bring peace back to the state.
