The Congress on Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence" on Manipur violence and said his behaviour is "shockingly bizarre" as he has neither issued an appeal for peace nor an expression of pain. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also shared a video of his meeting with a Manipur resident who had lost her loved ones, saying "quit hate, unite Manipur".
"I know the pain of losing a loved one because of hatred. Where there is violence, that society or country can never progress. Quit Hate, Unite Manipur," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said that Prime Minister Modi has not said a single word on Manipur violence even after 66 days.
"...the Prime Minister is visiting Chhattisgarh and UP tomorrow. Day after he will be in Telangana and Rajasthan. More photo-ops. More distorted facts. More insults aimed at the Opposition. More self-glorification. But not a word on Manipur even after 66 days. Not an iota of expression of pain, grief and anguish. No appeal for peace, harmony and reconciliation. His behaviour on Manipur is shockingly bizarre," Ramesh said on Twitter.
Nearly 120 people have died and more than 3,000 injured in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3. Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei also tweeted, "Rahul Gandhi ji, who is neither Prime Minister nor Member of Parliament, came to meet us in Manipur. What is stopping Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji from meeting us in Manipur, even after 2 months of continuous turmoil in the state."
The Congress has been questioning the prime minster's silence on the issue and have alleged that it is the BJP's politics of hate that is responsible for the violence in Manipur. The party leaders also alleged the failure of the BJP governments both at the Centre and in the state in controlling violence in the northeastern state.
