The Congress leader is set to meet people displaced by the ethnic clashes in relief camps and hold talks with civil society organisations during his two-day visit to the state
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Manipur’s capital Imphal on his two-day visit to the violence-hit state on Thursday. The Congress leader is set to meet people displaced by the ethnic clashes in relief camps and hold talks with civil society organisations during his two-day visit to the state, party officials said.
This is Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to the northeastern state since violence first broke out on May 3.
“After reaching Imphal, Gandhi is scheduled to head to Churachandpur district where he will visit relief camps. He will then go to Moirang in Bishnupur district and interact with displaced persons,” a senior Congress leader was quoted by PTI as saying.
“On Friday, Gandhi will visit relief camps in Imphal and will later hold talks with certain civil society organisations,” the Congress leader added.
Working President MPCC, Kh Debabrata said, “Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Churachandpur to meet people staying in the relief camps and stay with the affected families. Later he will visit Moirang and will interact with the affected families and Civil Society Organisations. Tomorrow he will meet important people in Imphal and also visit two more relief camps.”
BJP REACTS TO RAHUL GANDHI’S MANIPUR VISIT
BJP slammed Rahul Gandhi over his Manipur visit calling him a “political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling”.
BJP leader Amit Malviya took to Twitter and said, “Not once did Rahul Gandhi visit Churachandpur in Manipur between 2015-17, to meet the victims of ethnic violence, that raged following Congress CM Okram Ibobi Singh Govt’s decision to pass three Bills – the Protection of Manipur People’s Bill, 2015, Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, which were seen by the people of Churachandpur district, comprising mostly of Paites and Kukis, as ‘anti-Tribal’, and a ‘conspiracy’ by the majority Meitei community to grab Tribal land.”
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“Why didn’t Rahul Gandhi visit Manipur then? He is no messiah of peace just a political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling. His visit to Manipur is not borne out of concern for people but his own selfish political agenda. There is a reason no one trusts either him or the Congress,” he added.
As many as 50,000 people are staying in more than 300 relief camps across the state since ethnic clashes broke out on May 3 earlier this year after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
More than 100 people have died in the clashes so far.
