Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed PM Modi over Manipur crisis

In a post on X, Ramesh said that the Prime Minister has abandoned all responsibility for the BJP-manufactured crisis in Manipur. However, his Home Minister has found the time to campaign in the state today, and we hope he takes the initiative to answer a few questions on behalf of the PM Modi.

He highlighted several key points regarding the Prime Minister's actions (or lack thereof) on the turmoil gripping the north-eastern state and posed a number of questions to Modi.

1.Ramesh said that since May 3rd, 2023, when large-scale violence broke out in Manipur, the Prime Minister has not visited the state even once. He has not even given an appointment to, or taken a call from, the Chief Ministers, MLAs, or any other political representatives of the state. In fact, he has barely even acknowledged the crisis, barring a three-minute speech that he delivered when forced to by the Opposition. In the meantime, Rahul Gandhi  has visited the state twice to understand the situation and extend solidarity to the people of Manipur. What explains the Prime Minister’s refusal to engage with this issue - indifference or cowardice?

 2. He claimed that the situation in Manipur verges on that of a civil war, with a complete breakdown of all law and order. More than 200 people have been killed, more than 60,000 displaced, and thousands of weapons have been stolen from the state police. BSF soldiers have been shot at, policemen have been killed, and mobs have stormed into and burned down Government offices.

On March 11, Khwata Khunou,he said  the last Meitei village in Manipur to have withstood the violence was burned to the ground. Even the Supreme Court has observed that there has been an "absolute breakdown of Constitutional machinery" in the state. Despite this evident collapse in administration, the Congress Party’s demand for the dismissal of the Biren Singh Government in Manipur has not been met. Why is the Prime Minister protecting Biren Singh? Is it indifference to the reality of Manipur, or is it a tacit endorsement of the violence?

4.  He expressed that in late March, several Kuki youth and women's decided to boycott elections to the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency to protest the system’s failure to ensure their “protection, dignity, and rights.” What is the PM doing to preserve this last semblance of Indian democracy - the act of voting - in Manipur?

5.  Ramesh questioned that even amidst all the anarchy, the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP in Manipur, Sanajaoba Leishemba, from the erstwhile royal family of Manipur princely state, has been declaring himself the "Maharaja of Manipur" on his official letterhead as a Member of Parliament.

Ramesh said the title blatantly violates Article 18 of the Indian Constitution which effectively abolishes all feudal titles. Do the PM or the Home Minister approve of this title? Why haven't they put an end to this practice?