This was Rahul’s third visit to the northeastern state which witnessed ethnic strife for over a year that has left around 229 killed, 1,500 injured and 67,000 displaced
NEW DELHI – Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday requested prime minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur for a day or two and listen to the people of the strife-torn state, which Rahul said was “split in two”.
“It is important that the prime minister should come here. He should have visited much earlier. My request to the prime minister is that he should visit Manipur, listen to the people of the state and understand what they want,” Rahul told media persons after a day of whirlwind travel across the state where he met victims residing in the relief camps, reported The Telegraph.
“Even if there was no tragedy he should come here for one day or two days, listen to the people of Manipur, hear their pain. We are ready to support anything that would improve the situation.”
This was Rahul’s third visit to the northeastern state which witnessed ethnic strife for over a year that has left around 229 killed, 1,500 injured and 67,000 displaced.
In Imphal, Rahul also met Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey and expressed his displeasure with the government’s handling of the situation while assuring of all support from the Congress party.
“The state is split in two. It is a tragedy for everybody involved. I come here as your brother, somebody who wants to help you, who wants to work with you to bring back peace in Manipur,” said Rahul in a message to the people of the state. “The Congress party is ready to do anything we can to bring back peace here. Whatever we can. I met the Governor and expressed our displeasure and we said we are not happy with the progress that has taken place here.”
On the floor of the Rajya Sabha last week, Modi had claimed that the situation is beginning to get normal in Manipur and the opposition was trying to keep the issue alive to seek political mileage.
Describing the events unfolding in Manipur for more than a year as “a tremendous tragedy”, Rahul, following his latest visit on Monday, said he was disappointed that not much change has happened on the ground.
“Quite disappointed to see the situation is nowhere near what it should be. I visited the camps and heard the people there. Heard their pain. I came here to listen to them and build confidence in the people of Manipur,” said Rahul.
He said that one of the purposes of his visit as the leader of the Opposition was to apply pressure on the government to act.“Here the need of the hour is peace, violence is hurting everybody. Thousands of families harmed, properties destroyed and family members have been killed,” he said. “I have never seen anywhere in India what is going on here.”
During his day-long trip, Rahul visited violence-affected people staying in the camps in Churachandrapur and Jiribam districts.
