While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on his way to Churachandpur in Manipur to visit relief camps, police stopped his convoy fearing violence along the route. The Congress leader headed back to Imphal and took a helicopter instead of travelling by road to Churachandpur.
"I came to listen to all my brothers and sisters of Manipur. People of all communities are being very welcoming and loving. It’s very unfortunate that the government is stopping me. Manipur needs healing. Peace has to be our only priority," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.
The Congress leader began his two-day visit to violence-hit Manipur from today. This visit is significant as it marks the first time a mainstream opposition leader has travelled to Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic clashes since May 3.
Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "autocratic methods" to stall Rahul Gandhi's "compassionate outreach" to the people hit by ethnic violence. Congress leaders are speaking with the police and army authorities to ensure safe passage for Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi in Manipur -- latest developments
1. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited people displaced by the ethnic strife at Churachandpur in Manipur after reaching there in a helicopter, hours behind schedule as his convoy of vehicles was stopped by the state police.
After landing in Imphal, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's convoy was stopped by Manipur police at Bishnupur fearing violence on way to Churachandpur, which has witnessed the worst of the ethnic violence that the state has been embroiled in for many weeks now. He returned to Imphal and took a helicopter to visit the affected areas.
Party workers and locals staged a protest after his carcade was stopped by the police. A scuffle also broke out between the police and crowd in Manipur's Bishnupur. Police also fired tear gas to disperse the protesters who were gathered near his convoy.
2. Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra said that Rahul Gandhi's visit to Moirang was cancelled as the administration did not permit him to come to Moirang - neither by road nor by air. He could meet the violence-affected people only in Churachandpur. He is returning to Imphal and will stay the night there. "There is no clarity on if he will be able to continue with his visits scheduled for tomorrow," he said.
3. Congress criticised the government, alleging that it was interfering with the efforts of Rahul Gandhi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said,"PM Modi has not bothered to break his silence on Manipur. He has left the state to fend for itself."
"Now, his double engine disastrous governments are using autocratic methods to stall a compassionate outreach by Rahul Gandhi. This is totally unacceptable and shatters all constitutional and democratic norms. Manipur needs peace, not confrontation," he added.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is "most unfortunate" that the Modi government is preventing Gandhi from visiting relief camps. "His 2-day visit to Manipur is in the spirit of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The prime minister may choose to remain silent or be inactive but why stop Rahul Gandhi's efforts to listen to all sections of the Manipuri society and provide a healing touch," Ramesh asked.
4. BJP leader Sambit Patra said that the situation in Manipur is due to the "legacy" issue, in which Congress has played an "important role". "All Manipur Students' Union during a press conference yesterday demanded to boycott Rahul Gandhi's visit and enumerated those legacy issues. Many civil society organisations had also given a call that Rahul Gandhi should not come to Manipur and incite sparks. Rahul Gandhi's behaviour is highly irresponsible," he said.
5. Meanwhile, Mizoram has also bore the strain of accommodating tens of thousands of violence-affected people fleeing Manipur. Two separate reports in Indian Express and The Hindu, stated that close to 12,000 people have fled Manipur and taken shelter in Mizoram. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking at least Rs 10 crore in financial assistance and a team led by state cabinet minister Robert Royte had also visited Delhi to request funds.
6. Upon his return from high-profile deliberations and visits to the United States and Egypt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (June 26) chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in Manipur. Cabinet ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Hardeep Puri, alongside Union Home Minister Shah, were present at the meeting.
7. The Indian Army released 12 cadres of banned insurgent group Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), who were apprehended in a village in the Imphal East district of Manipur Saturday afternoon, after a stand-off with a women-led mob of local residents. According to an Army spokesperson, the 12 cadres were apprehended with arms, ammunition, and war-like stores during an operation in Itham village initiated on Saturday morning based on specific intelligence.
8. On Saturday (June 24), Union Home Minister Amit Shah, convened an all-party meeting and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "unwavering commitment" to resolving the crisis in Manipur. He stressed the government's primary focus on preventing further loss of lives due to violence in the state. Opposition parties have been critical of the central government's handling of the Manipur situation and have voiced concerns regarding the prime minister's perceived silence on the matter. Several opposition leaders have also been demanding removal of Manipur's CM and imposition of president's rule in the northeastern state, arguing that peace cannot be achieved until trust is re-established among local communities. In response, Shah assured that the government is dedicated to addressing the issue with the utmost sensitivity.
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9. The Manipur government also extended the ban on internet services in the state for an additional five days, aiming to prevent any disturbances of peace and public order. This decision comes in the wake of ongoing ethnic clashes and violence that have plagued the Northeastern state.
According to an official release, the ban on internet services will remain in effect until 3 pm on June 30, with the objective of maintaining peace and public order within the jurisdiction of Manipur.
10. Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.
