Violence against women, kids weaponised in Manipur: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said it was apparent that violence against women and children was weaponised in Manipur, and also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the state in the last 147 days.

He also demanded the immediate removal of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. 

Kharge in a post on X, said, "For 147 days, people of Manipur are suffering, but Prime Minister Modi does not have time to visit the state."

"The horrific images of students being targeted in this violence has once again shocked the entire nation. It is now apparent that violence against women and children was weaponised in this strife," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.

He also said that the beautiful state of Manipur has been turned into a "battlefield", all because of the BJP.

"High time, Prime Minister Modi sacks BJP's incompetent Manipur Chief Minister. This would be the first step to control any further turmoil," Kharge added.

His remarks came after the news of the murder of two young students came to the fore on Tuesday.

The Manipur government said that it has handed over the murder case of two young students to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while the security forces have also initiated a search operation to nab the perpetrators.

An official from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said that it has come to the notice of the state government that photos of the victims, identified as Phijam Hemjit (20) and Hijam Linthoingambi (17), who have been missing since July, have surfaced on social media.

The killing of two students led to massive agitation by students in the northeastern state. The state government also suspended Internet services on Tuesday for five days till October 1, just four days after it was restored. 

A special CBI team led by its Director Praveen Sood will reach Imphal on Wednesday in a special flight to expedite the probe into the murder of two young students. 

Ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 this year. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had visited the violence-hit state in June while a delegation of the opposition MPs also went to the northeastern state in July.

The Congress had condemned the ethnic violence and had demanded immediate removal of Chief Minister Biren Singh, and also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the state.

According to Inspector General of Manipur Police (Operations) I.K. Muivaa, at least 175 people have been killed, 1108 injured and 32 remain unaccounted for since the ethnic violence erupted in the state on May 3.