Imphal: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh praised the people of Manipur for electing Congress MPs in both the Inner and Outer Manipur constituencies, interpreting the electoral outcome as a powerful message from a population enduring significant hardship since the onset of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023.
“The long-suffering people of Manipur, whose resilience and strength has been under major strain since the state began burning on the night of May 3, 2023, have sent a very powerful signal by electing Congress MPs in both Inner and Outer Manipur,” Ramesh said.
He attributed this electoral success to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Manipur on June 29-30, 2023, and the launch of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Thoubal on January 14, 2024, after state authorities denied permission to commence the event in Imphal.
Ramesh did not hold back in his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of neglecting the crisis in Manipur.
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“It is also a tight slap on the face of Mr Narendra Modi, who simply refused to reach out to the people of Manipur and did not visit the state even for a few hours,” Ramesh asserted.
He expressed hope that the election of the two Congress MPs would mark the beginning of a reconciliation process.
“The two Congress MPs have a huge responsibility, and with their election, hopefully, the process of reconciliation will get a big boost,” Ramesh added.
The Congress victory is seen as a significant development in Manipur that has been grappling with violence and unrest for over a year.