BJP has ‘vested interest’ in keeping Manipur on the boil: Congress president

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

A day after fresh violence erupted in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that the party in power at both the Centre and in the State had “vested interests” in keeping the border State on the boil. In a post on social media platform X, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Kharge said: “BJP is the matchstick which burnt Manipur!”

On Friday evening, fresh violence was reported in Kangpokpi district after a protest march against the posting of State security forces in the area turned violent. The Manipur Police said that the protest called for by the Committee on Tribal Unity had turned violent and resulted in mobs attacking the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP), adding that the SP was also injured in the incident.

In his post, Mr. Kharge pointed out that the last time the Prime Minister had been in Manipur was three years ago, in January 2022, “for seeking votes for the BJP”. In the over 600 days since the ethnic conflict had broken out in Manipur, media reports and satellite images had shown “villages after villages wiped off”.

“Your incompetent and shameless Chief Minister has expressed regret but has conveniently brazened out your absence in the state,” Mr. Kharge said.

“We are repeating with utmost responsibility that the BJP has some vested interests to keep the beautiful border state on the boil,” the Congress president said, adding that even the Supreme Court had said it was the primary responsibility of the Centre and State to ensure peace and normalcy.

He reiterated to the PM that the Congress had made three “specific and simple requests” of him — visit Manipur by the end of 2024, meet the State’s political parties, and show direct involvement in ending the conflict — none of which he had done.

“Even if you do either of the above, you cannot escape the Constitutional culpability of not following the Rajdharma,” Mr. Kharge said.

Published – January 04, 2025 01:59 pm IST