The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Shah says PM working towards peace in Manipur, calls out ‘talks of division’
Polls between those who talk of breaking up Manipur and those holding state together: Minister
UNION HOME Minister Amit Shah on Monday said at an election rally in Imphal that the Lok Sabha elections would be fought between “those talking of dividing Manipur” and “those holding it together”.
On his second visit to Manipur since conflict erupted in the state last May, Shah reached Imphal International Airport around 2.30 pm and headed straight to the rally venue at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal East district. Before his arrival, women protesters had blocked roads in different parts of the city.
Shah said that in the days to come, PM Narendra Modi’s priority will be to restore peace in Manipur, while keeping its territorial integrity intact, by holding talks with all sections.
In his speech, he targeted the Congress and accused them of fanning divisions in the state. He also mentioned different ethnic conflicts that had taken place earlier in the state.
“During Congress rule, there was a 1,000-day blockade here and Manipur was closed for three years. The work of killing hundreds of people in encounters was done by (former chief minister and Congress leader) Ibobi Singh’s government. In the Nagakuki conflict, 750 people were killed. In the Meitei-pangal conflict, 100 people were killed. And in the Kuki-paite conflict, 325 people were killed. The Congress had made Manipur a nakabandi (roadblock) state,” Shah said.
“This election is not between BJP and Congress. It is between those who talk of breaking up Manipur and those holding Manipur together. Wherever the Congress goes, it talks of divisions… Even now, people in the Congresswanttodividethiscountry into North India and South India. Here also they have an agenda – the division of Manipur. Butisaytoday,noonehastheguts to break up Manipur,” he said.
He referred to Congress’ Inner Manipur candidate, JNU teacher Bimol Akoijam, as a “member of the tukde-tukde gang”, and sought votes for the BJP’S candidate from the seat, Th. Basanta Singh.
Shah pointed to recent decisions taken by the Union governments as protecting the state’s interest, in line with fears expressed by the Meitei community regarding “illegal migration” into the state from Myanmar.
“I know there are efforts to change demography of this small state with infiltration. The Narendra Modi government has decided Myanmar’s entire border will be fenced to keep Manipur safe. We have started the work of building the fence. The Free Movement Regime was misused for smuggling narcotics and we have decided to stop it,” he said.
Shah’s last visit to the state was last year, on May 28, a few weeks after violence in the state began on May 3.
Ahead of Shah’s arrival on Monday, women protesters put up blockades in parts of Imphal, stopping vehicles carrying people who were heading to the rally and removing BJP flags from vehicles. In the New Checkon area, protesters piled up burning tyres to discourage commuters from heading towards the meeting venue. However, private vehicles were allowed free passage.
A protester at Khurai Lamlong said they were not against Shah’s visit or the elections, but that they were protesting the “undermining” of the strife-torn state’s plight in the name of elections. “The people of Manipur would have extended a grand welcome to the Union Home Minister if his visit was to resolve the persisting crisis,” the protester said.
Despite the blockades, thousands attended the rally.
Earlier, at a rally in Tripura,
Shah said the BJP will eradicate infiltration and terrorism fully from the Northeast region. He launched the party’s campaign led by senior leaders at Kumarghat in North Tripura district. He appealed to electors to vote for the BJP in both Lok Sabha constituencies of Tripura - West and East.
He also committed to making Tripura a developed state, following the party’s national slogan of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 if the BJP is voted to power for a third straight term at the Centre. “Modiji worked to develop and ensure the country's safety. The first tribal person to become president was Droupadi Murmu during Modiji’s tenure. The tribal affairs ministry had a budget of Rs 24,000 crore in the past, while PM Modi hiked it to Rs 1.25 lakh crore,” he said.
At a roadshow in in the Jaipur Lok Sabha seat, Shah exuded confidence that the BJP would win all 25 parliamentary seats in Rajasthan for the third time in a row. “We are going to win all 25 seats in Rajasthan for the third time. Surely we will touch the 400-seat mark. Due to the work done by PM Narendra Modi in the last 10 years, there is great enthusiasm among the people to him bring back to power,” Shah told reporters.