Demanding PR not in Manipur people's interest, says BJP Manipur; Reminds Congress of its time taken to solve different past conflicts

The Congress Working Committee’s demand for immediate removal of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and imposition of President’s Rule in the State is not in the interest of the people of Manipur, but to worsen many hardships faced by the people, said the BJP Manipur Pradesh on Friday.

This was stated by the General Secretary, BJP Manipur Pradesh, Sarat Kumar while briefing to the media persons at the BJP Office, Nityapat Chuthek, Imphal.

In response to the CWC demand for imposition of PR in Manipur and the questions raised by Manipur Congress on alleged negligence of BJP Central leaderships on the issue of Manipur conflict, Sarat reminded Congress the past conflicts in Manipur such as the Kuki-Naga conflict, Meitei-Pangal conflict and Kuki-Paite conflict in Manipur during their regimes, and asked how long the then Congress government took to bring an end to those conflicts.

Sarat said that the Congress, during its regime in the past, did not able to bring peace to the Kuki-Naga conflict in Manipur for years, while raising doubt whether it would be safe or right to say that the conflict between the two communities has really ended now. Besides, it also took years for the then Congress government to bring an end to the Kuki-Paite conflict in Manipur, he added.

Recalling the Meitei and Meitei Pangal conflict in Manipur in the past, Sarat alleged that the conflict occurred during the Congress government but no Congress leaders from the Centre visited Manipur during that time.

He also said that during the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah’s three days stay in Manipur to oversee the situation, the Congress party was also invited for a meeting so that they could also suggest ways and means to end the conflict. However, the Congress did not attend the meeting, he said and questioned the Congress party's intention in demanding PR in Manipur now.

The General Secretary, BJP, further said that the Chief Minister is trying to find ways and means to end the conflict and at the same time looking for options on how the displaced persons would return to their homes. Cutting across the party line, he appealed, it is high time the political parties should work together to find ways to bring peace in the State.

The Congress Working Committee in its meeting held in New Delhi on October 9 adopted several resolutions which included immediate removal of N. Biren Singh and imposition of PR as the first step in resolving the unprecedented crisis in Manipur.