Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee President Keisham Meghachandra has expressed his doubts regarding the ability of the state government to effectively address the ongoing unrest in Manipur. In a press conference held at Congress Bhavan in Imphal on Thursday evening, Meghachandra strongly criticized Chief Minister N Biren Singh led incumbent government, labeling them as the weakest in the political history of Manipur.
During the press conference held at Congress Bhavan in Imphal, Meghachandra highlighted the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent meeting in Guwahati, which aimed to strategize for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He deemed the meeting irrelevant and accused the BJP of sidestepping discussions about the critical situation in Manipur. Meghachandra emphasized that organizing such a meeting was inappropriate given the crisis gripping the state.
One of the major points of contention raised by Meghachandra was the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the violence unfolding in Manipur. The state has experienced significant loss of life, widespread destruction of homes, and the displacement of over 50,000 people. Expressing deep concern, Meghachandra lamented the Prime Minister’s silence, questioning his priorities, citing instances of engaging in cabinet meetings and election campaigning in other states instead of addressing the plight of the people in Manipur.
Expressing his frustration over Mr. Modi’s perceived indifference to Manipur and prioritization of other states, Meghachandra, who is also an MLA of the Wangkhem assembly constituency, raised the question of the significance of Indian citizenship, saying, “What is the meaning of citizens of India? Here, our children are displaced, and thousands of houses have been torched. At this crucial junction, if they are discussing political strategy for the election, what’s the need for Manipur to be a part of India? This is the question people are raising. Our political party, the Congress, is asking.”
Expressing grave concerns about the government’s inability to restore normalcy, Meghachandra stated, “Under this government, we are all going to die. This is the weakest government I have ever seen in my life and in the political history of Manipur.”
He further criticized the unified command and the government, saying: “This weak government. The unified command is not in the hand of the state government but with the central government. Then, what’s the need of having a state government and governance? Are we under the democratic system? These questions have erupted. That’s why we are skeptical of these political game plans that have been unfolding.”
