BJP has vested interest in Manipur unrest, PM can't evade blame: Kharge

After fresh violence erupted in Manipur, the Congress on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he could not escape the constitutional culpability of not following "rajdharma".

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the BJP had some vested interest in keeping the border state on the boil. 

"The BJP is the matchstick which burnt Manipur!" he said in his post.

He also shared a screengrab of a news report about the latest violence.

The Congress chief said in the post, "Narendra Modi ji, your last visit to Manipur was for seeking votes for the BJP, way back in January 2022. Violence erupted in the state on May 3, 2023."  "More than 600 days have passed, and media reports through satellite images have now revealed that villages after villages have been wiped off in the state," he added.

Kharge said fresh violence was witnessed recently when a mob attacked the Kangpokpi district superintendent of police, resulting in injuries.

"Your incompetent and shameless chief minister has expressed regret but has conveniently brazened out your absence in the state," he alleged.

"We are repeating with utmost responsibility that the BJP has some vested interest to keep the beautiful border state on the boil, with more than 250 innocent deaths and 60,000 being displaced. People are still living in camps for 20 months," Kharge claimed.

Even the Supreme Court has said it was the primary responsibility of the Union and the state governments to ensure peace and normalcy, the Congress president noted.

"On December 6, INDIA (bloc) parties in Manipur had made three specific and simple requests to you. Visit Manipur before 2024 ends, but you did NOT. Call representatives of all political parties at your office in Delhi, but you HAVEN'T. Involve yourself directly in Manipur, but it DOES NOT seem that you have," he said.

"Even if you do either of the above, you cannot escape the constitutional culpability of not following rajdharma," Kharge added.

The superintendent of police in Manipur's Kangpokpi district was injured after a mob attacked his office on Friday over the officer's alleged failure to remove central forces from Saibol village, bordering the Imphal East district, officials have said.

Several others, including police personnel and protesters, also suffered injuries during the clash between security forces and attackers.

Kuki organisations have been protesting against the alleged baton charge on women by security forces in Saibol village on December 31.

The attackers on Friday threw stones and other projectiles towards the office to vent their anger over the continued deployment of central forces, particularly the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), in the village.