While Manipur is burning, PM silent, HM ineffective: Congress

Hitting out at the Narendra Modi government over the situation in violence-hit Manipur, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that while the north-eastern state is burning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent, home minister Amit Shah is ineffective and chief minister N. Biren Singh is "non-functional".

Ramesh made the remarks at a national convention on peace in Manipur at the Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan which was addressed by leaders from different political parties.

In a tweet later, Ramesh said that he participated in the convention organised by 10 like-minded political parties to share his thoughts on the political, administrative and humanitarian disasters in the state of Manipur.

"You cannot have unanimity but you can have consensus. That is how the Constitution of India was made.... So it is through consensus, only through listening to everybody, being sensitive that you can really restore trust (in Manipur). It is going to be a long process. It is not going to happen in weeks, it is going to take months, it may take years but we have to start the process," Ramesh said at the convention.

While Manipur is burning, the prime minister is silent, the home minister is ineffective, and the chief minister is non-functional, he said.

Ramesh said that to move ahead, the chief minister should be replaced immediately.

Then, he said, two fundamental steps need to be taken -- disarm all armed groups ruthlessly without any discrimination and begin the process of creating an atmosphere of trust, harmony and reconciliation.

Ramesh said former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh took 10 years to restore some semblance of order and then the process of development was started.

"We live in hope that Manipur which was an example of unity through diversity in India is brought back to the path of normalcy at the earliest," he asserted.

Ramesh's remarks come a day after the Congress said peace in violence-hit Manipur is not possible under Chief Minister N Biren Singh and demanded that the prime minister replaces him immediately.

Presenting an eight-point charter of demands on behalf of the Congress at an all-party meeting convened by Union home minister Amit Shah in Parliament building, former chief minister of Manipur Ibobi Singh had said it was unfortunate that he was not allowed more time to put across his views towards the end of the meeting.

Nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 injured since the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3. A large number of houses were torched rendering many people homeless in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities.

(With PTI inputs)