Imphal, Oct 21 The Congress on Wednesday accused the Centre and the BJP government in Manipur of failing to deal with the law and order situation and cross-border terrorism, and asked how long the people would tolerate the continuous killings.
State Congress president and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said representatives of the opposition INDIA bloc submitted a memorandum to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Lok Bhavan here and urged him to take immediate action to stop ethnic clashes.
He also wondered whether the central government would tolerate it if such continuous killings happened in a bigger state like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
The ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 between the valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities in Manipur has claimed at least 306 lives, while 49 people remain missing and thousands have been left homeless. In recent months, clashes between Kuki and Naga communities have also been reported.
“We have submitted a memorandum over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and also asked him how long the people would endure the continuing ethnic clashes,” Singh said after meeting the governor.
The three-time ex-chief minister alleged that the state government has “failed to appropriately deal with the law and order situation”.
“How long will the people tolerate the continuous killings? The people of the state have suffered enough. Will the central government tolerate it if such continuous killings happen in a bigger state like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar,” Singh said.
The INDIA bloc parties see “a lack of commitment, seriousness and determination” on the part of the Centre to resolve the issue, the Congress leader alleged.
“The Centre can easily curb the violence in a tiny state like Manipur if it wants. It is the Centre’s responsibility to control cross-border terrorism in the state. We seek the Centre’s intervention. What we are witnessing in Manipur has never been seen in any other northeastern state or any other parts of the country,” he said.
“As long as the BJP-led government exists, we don’t believe that peace and normalcy will be restored,” Singh claimed.
(PTI News)
