Congress president Kharge slams BJP for Manipur violence

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge blamed the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party government on Thursday, for the violence, claiming that the crisis arose as a result of the party’s tactics of hatred and division.

The Congress president asked the people of the northeastern state to be peaceful and to exercise restraint.

Taking to Twitter, Kharge said, “Manipur is burning. BJP has created fissures among communities and destroyed the peace of a beautiful state. BJP’s politics of hate, division and greed for power is responsible for this mess. We appeal to people from all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a chance.”

This comes after violence broke out on 3 May, during the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in the Torbung area of Churachandpur district to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed in Manipur.
To tackle the worsening law and order situation after tribal groups took out rallies in several districts of Manipur, the State government has suspended mobile internet in the State for five days. Along with a ban on large gatherings, a night curfew too has been imposed in several districts of the State.

In view of the situation, a curfew has been imposed in non-tribal-dominated Imphal West, Kakching, Thoubal, Jiribam, and Bishnupur districts, and tribal-dominated Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal districts.

“Internet services suspended in Manipur for five days amid incidents of fighting among youths, and volunteers of different communities as a rally was organised by All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) Manipur in protest against the demand for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST category,” the Manipur government said in a statement.

As far as the current situation is concerned, two issues in the State have led to the situation. First, chief minister Biren Singh’s move to protect the forest faces resistance from illegal Immigrants and drug cartels, and the second is linked to the Manipur High Court’s recent direction to the State Government to consider the inclusion of Meitei in the Scheduled Tribe category which has led to an outburst from the tribal community who are ST.

Thousands of tribals who make up about 40 per cent of the state’s population joined the processions, waved placards and raised slogans opposing ST status for the Meitei.