During a campaign rally in Mizoram on Monday, Congressman Rahul Gandhi brought up the violence in Manipur.
He declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was “destroying the idea of Manipur”.
“I visited Manipur a few months ago. The BJP has dismantled the concept of Manipur. It is now two states instead of one, he claimed. “People have been murdered, women have been molested, and babies have been killed, but the PM doesn’t find it important to travel there.”
After tribal organizations called for protests against a proposed change to the state’s reservation matrix that would have given the Meitei people scheduled tribe (ST) status, fighting in Manipur first started on May 3 in Churachandpur town.
#WATCH | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Mizoram's Aizawal
"Some months ago, I went to Manipur. The idea of Manipur has been destroyed by the BJP. It is no longer a state, but two states. People have been murdered, women have been molested and babies have been killed but the PM… pic.twitter.com/ngImqPaEap
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2023
Where there are significant racial tensions in the state, the violence soon expands. Since then, the state has seen over 50,000 displaced residents and at least 175 fatalities. Numerous businesses have shut down, studies have been impacted, houses of worship have been reduced to cinders, and the state has been without internet for months.
Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more concerned with what is happening in Israel than in Manipur during his speech on Monday.
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But the BJP is currently opposing this notion, he claimed, since they target many communities, religions, languages, and civilizations while encouraging violence, haughtiness, and a lack of understanding. “The idea of India that we cherish—one that values respect for all and the protection of everyone—is completely at odds with this stance.”
Gandhi landed in Aizawl on Monday to launch his party’s campaign there ahead of the state’s upcoming elections.
