Congress seeks fresh elections in Manipur

New Delhi: Asserting that the President’s Rule had not brought any improvement in the situation in Manipur, the Congress today demanded holding of fresh elections in the state to elect a popular government.

The party also questioned the continued silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation there.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC office in New Delhi, the Manipur in-charge of the Congress, Saptagiri Ulaka, and the PCC president, Keisham Meghachandra Singh, expressed deep concern over the situation in the state.

The two leaders demanded that elections be announced in Manipur, so that a people’s government can be formed there and peace can be established at the earliest.

Saptagiri said that Congress had been demanding imposition of President’s Rule for a long time in view of the continuous violence, but the BJP took 20 months to impose it. Suggesting that it was too little and too late, he said the President’s Rule had neither helped in improving the situation nor in restoring peace and the confidence of people.

He pointed out that 260 people have died and more than 68,000 people are still living in relief camps. He referred to an audio clip allegedly with the voice of former Chief Minister Biren Singh suggesting that the violence was well planned.

The Manipur Congress in-charge questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence, accusing him and the central government of neglecting Manipur. He said that Modi made 44 foreign and 250 domestic visits in the last two years, but he has not gone to Manipur till date.

Saptagiri questioned the intention of the government for not making public the report of the commission constituted by the Home Minister on the violence. He said that the Modi government was trying to hide the truth and it has no will to normalise the situation there.

Speaking on the occasion, Manipur Pradesh Congress President Meghachandra said that the ongoing conflict was still unresolved due to the inaction of the BJP-led government. He pointed out that despite the formation of the Peace Committee in 2023, no meeting was held till now.

He observed that the BJP government has not made any effort to bring back peace and normalcy in the state in the last two years.