Guwahati: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday blamed the Centre for the fresh violence in Manipur, saying the torching of houses in tribal villages reflected the consequences of the Narendra Modi government’s “divisive ideology”.
Reacting to the latest incidents in Manipur’s Kamjong district, Gandhi said the conflict in the state had continued unabated despite the imposition of President’s Rule.
“Manipur has been burning for years, and again, homes have been reduced to ashes in the fire of hatred and violence. Even with two governments and President’s Rule, the conflict is only deepening. Thousands have lost their lives, countless families have been shattered,” Gandhi said in a post on social media.
Alleging that the violence was a consequence of the Centre’s policies, Gandhi said the Modi government’s “divisive ideology” had deepened social divisions on the basis of religion, caste, language, region and identity.
He also alleged that the people of Manipur had lost hope of receiving either empathy or action from the Prime Minister.
“Manipur deserves better—and for that, uniting India is the only way forward,” Gandhi said.
His remarks came a day after fresh violence near the India-Myanmar border led to the torching of several houses in Manipur’s Kamjong district.
According to reports, Phaimol, a Kuki village, and the Tangkhul Naga villages of Kongkan Thana and Shangkalok were among the affected settlements. Several houses were reduced to ashes, although the full extent of the damage and any casualties could not be independently verified by Northeast Now at the time of filing this report.
The incidents also triggered fresh allegations between Kuki and Naga organisations, with each side accusing the other of carrying out the attacks.