Rahul Gandhi to visit violence-hit Manipur today

Congresss leader Rahul Gandhi will visit violence-hit Manipur on Thursday. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal announced that Gandhi will interact with society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur during his visit.“

Manipur has been burning for nearly two months, and desperately needs a healing touch so that the society can move from conflict to peace. This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate”, the Congress leader added.

More than 100 people have lost their lives since the violence erupted in the north-eastern state on May 3. Clashes had erupted during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for a scheduled tribe status.

The Meitei community comprises about 53 per cent of the state population and live in Imphal Valley. On the other hand, tribals like Nagas and Kukis constitute 40 per cent of the population and live in hill districts.

The announcement for Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes after an all party meeting was held in New Delhi last week on the situation in Manipur. Besides raising the demand for an all-party delegation to the violence-hit state, the opposition called for the removal of chief minister N Biren Singh.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the violence in Manipur. “No amount of “propaganda” by the BJP-led government can cover up its “abject failure” in handling the Manipur situation”,Kharge tweeted.

“If Modiji is really concerned about Manipur, then the first thing he should do is sack his chief minister,” Kharge added.