India News | Manipur Discussion Rushed Through to Avoid Uncomfortable Questions, Shah Had No Answers: Congress
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Congress on Saturday alleged that the discussion on Manipur in Parliament was rushed through so that no uncomfortable questions were raised.
New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday alleged that the discussion on Manipur in Parliament was rushed through so that no uncomfortable questions were raised.
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adopted a statutory resolution confirming the imposition of the President's rule in Manipur in the early hours of Thursday and Friday respectively following brief discussions after the two Houses cleared the contentious Wakf (Amendment) Bill in proceedings that extended overnight.
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In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed Home Minister Amit Shah had "no answers to some basic questions".
"The discussion in Parliament on Manipur was rushed through at an unearthly hour simply so that no uncomfortable questions would be raised," Ramesh alleged in his post.
The Statutory Resolution on the Proclamation of President's Rule in Manipur was passed in the Lok Sabha "after only an hour of discussion at 3 AM on April 3rd in the Lok Sabha and at 4 AM on April 4th in the Rajya Sabha".
Posing a set of questions, Ramesh said, "Why did Manipur begin to burn on May 3rd, 2023, just fifteen months after the BJP and its allies got a huge mandate in the assembly elections" and asked if it was not a "failure of governance on the part of the so-called double-engine sarkar captained by Mr. Modi".
Why did it take the Modi Government almost eighteen months to declare President's Rule "after the Supreme Court itself had observed on August 1, 2023 that there has been an 'absolute breakdown in Constitutional machinery' in Manipur?" he asked.
Ramesh also questioned the removal of the Governor of Manipur in July 2024 and asked why a full-time Governor was not appointed for almost six months thereafter. "Was it because she was in disagreement with the so-called double-engine sarkar's policies and actions?
"Why has the PM refused to visit Manipur ever since May 2023 when he has found the time to go all over the world and visit other states in the Northeast?
"Why has the Union Home Minister himself not visited the state after his initial trip in May 2023? Why have there been no consultations with other political parties," the Congress leader said.
The Congress' attack came as representatives of the warring Meitei and Kuki communities met face-to-face on Saturday for the first time in the national capital since ethnic violence started in Manipur nearly two years ago.
Sources said the meeting was held as part of the central government's initiatives to find an amicable solution to the ongoing conflict between the two communities, which began in May 2023.
The meeting was aimed at enhancing trust and cooperation between the Meiteis and Kukis and finding a roadmap to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur, the sources said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)