Guwahati, Nov 19: Former Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Ripun Bora criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “not showing any seriousness” on defusing the situation in violence-hit Manipur.
Expressing concern at the ongoing violence in Manipur, Bora said on Tuesday that while the situation in Manipur has gone from bad to worse, “our Prime Minister has not shown any seriousness to the situation in Manipur which has been burning for one and half years.”
“The Prime Minister has been able to get time to make multiple foreign trips and election visits to the Northeast states, but has not spared even a few hours to visit BJP-ruled Manipur where there is no law and order, no security of life and property of citizens. The situation in the state has become volatile owing to the clash between two communities, but our Prime Minister has not been able to spare a few hours to console the people in Manipur,” he said.
“This step-motherly attitude of the BJP government and the Prime Minister towards the people of Manipur is highly condemnable. I therefore demand that the Prime Minister must visit Manipur without further delay,” the Congress leader said, while appealing to the Centre to be sincere in tackling the situation in Manipur.
Bora also criticised Assam chief minister and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, stating that “instead of making tall claims about issues in the Northeast as the NEDA chief, he should take initiatives to defuse the situation in Manipur.”
Meanwhile, a delegation of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee leaders and members on Tuesday evening held a candlelight vigil at Dighalipukhuri here, highlighting grave concern over the ongoing unrest in Manipur.
Speaking to mediapersons, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Debabrata Saikia, who led the protest rally, accused the BJP-led central government of not taking requisite action to address the situation in the BJP-led state, which has been on the boil for one and half months.
“The Congress has, time and again, been drawing the attention of the central government in regard to taking steps to control the situation in Manipur. A no-confidence motion was also moved in Parliament by Congress against the inaction of the government in Manipur, but nothing concrete was seen,” Saikia said.
“So, through this candlelight vigil, we draw the attention of the President to the situation in Manipur and that the Centre and the state government take steps to address the crisis so that things return to normal and peace prevails at the earliest,” he said.