BJP under fire from minister, Manipuri students; Congress asks for all-party meet

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government's failure in handling the Manipur crisis is evident with one of its ministers regretting the "total collapse of law and order" in the state after his house was torched by rioters.

BJP leader and minister of state for external affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Friday, 16 June, said that despite the presence of central forces, the law and order situation in Manipur had totally collapsed.

Singh, who is at a BJP Jansampark programme in Kerala, said that he fails to understand why militants burnt his house down for the second time, when he is trying to work things out with the Centre. poser

He added, “I am shocked over this incident. The law and order situation in Manipur has totally failed. The existing state government could not maintain the law and order situation despite the Centre providing a large number of forces. I do not know why the state mechanism has failed.”

Local student bodies' posers for the BJP

Six student and youth organisations sought a clarification from the BJP’s central leadership about the claim made by militant outfit United Kuki Liberation Front regarding their having helped BJP candidates win the 2017 Assembly elections.

The call for the party's response comes from the All Manipur Students' Union, the Manipuri Students' Federation, the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur, the Kangleipak Students' Association, the Students' Union of Kangleipak and the Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpang Lup.

In a joint statement, the six associations said, “If this is true, then the Government of India is playing divide and rule in Manipur. It is time for the people to fight against the Government of India's divide and rule policy. We demand the central BJP leadership to clarify its stand on the claims made by the UKLF. Otherwise, the people will boycott the BJP and root out the party from the soil of Manipur."

The statement suggested that the Kuki militants may have supported the BJP during the 2017 election after getting an assurance that their demand for a separate administration (regarded by the Meitei especially as equivalent to a separate state) would be considered.

It also demanded answers from the BJP government for not trying to find a resolution to the violent clashes through the seven Kuki MLAs from their party.

The statement read, "Ten Kuki MLAs, seven are from the ruling BJP (and they) have openly supported the Kuki militants' demand for a separate administration or Kukiland. Why is the Central BJP not trying to find a solution through these MLAs? Why is the state BJP not taking any action against these 10 MLAs till today?"

Upon investigation, National Herald, found out that these student bodies were majorly run by Meitei students.

Congress suggests all-party meet

The Congress party has questioned the prime minister's silence over the issue and asked the goverment to convene an all-party meeting over the situation in Manipur.

Party general secretary K.C. Venugopal said, "The prime minister has maintained a stone-cold silence, and his government has taken no concrete action so far. Why is the Union government allowing this to continue? Who is accountable for this disastrous situation?"

He added, "The prime minister must immediately call for an all-party meeting because the country is demanding answers. Will he finally speak up after a Union minister's residence has been attacked?"