Your silence on Manipur violence is rubbing salt on people's wounds: Kharge's jibe at PM

After the Centre announced the formation of a Peace Committee with Governor Anusuiya Uikey as its chairperson for Manipur on Saturday, the Congress questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "stoic silence" on the violence in the state and said that it is rubbing salt on the wounds of the people.

Attacking the Prime Minister, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: "Narendra Modi ji, May 3, 2023 — Violence first broke out in Manipur. It took almost a month for you to send the Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) to the state. Eight days after Home Minister's departure, violence continues in Manipur. For a proponent of the so-called 'Act East' policy for Northeast India, your stoic silence on violence in Manipur is rubbing salt in the wounds of its people. As the Prime Minister, the least you could have done is appeal for peace. You have betrayed Manipur."

His remarks came soon after the government announced that it has constituted a Peace Committee with Manipur Governor as its chairman. The Ministry of Home Affairs here said that the government has constituted a Peace Committee in Manipur under the Chairpersonship of the Manipur Governor.

It further said that besides Manipur Governor as the Chairman of the Peace Committee, other members include Chief Minister, a few Ministers of the State Government, MP, MLAs and leaders from different political parties, former civil servants, educationists, litterateurs, artists, social workers and representatives of different ethnic groups.

The MHA said that the mandate of the Committee will be to facilitate the peacemaking process among various ethnic groups of the state, including peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties or groups.

The Committee should strengthen social cohesiveness, mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication between various ethnic groups, it added.

More than 105 people have died and over 40,000 people displaced since violence erupted on May 3 in Manipur.