Any effort for restoring peace must take place in violence-hit Manipur: Congress

New Delhi, June 22

The Congress and the BJP today entered into a war of words over an all-party meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 24 to discuss the situation prevailing in the violence-hit Manipur even as two soldiers were injured when gunmen fired at them in the North Boljang area of Imphal West district in the wee hours.

While the Congress said the meeting was “too little, too late”, the saffron party dubbed the current spate of violence a “legacy of the past”.

Sources in the government said the all-party meeting had been convened with an intent to facilitate discussions among political leaders on the prevailing situation in Manipur and devise effective strategies and a collective approach to bring peace.

In the case of firing at two soldiers, officials said an INSAS light machine gun was recovered by the forces during initial search. “The soldiers sustained minor injuries. Additional Army columns have been deployed and search operations are in progress,” a security official said.

Meanwhile, training a gun at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said it was clear that the all-party meeting was not important for the PM as it was being held at a time when he was not in the country. He further said efforts to bring warring factions on the discussion table “will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi”.

“Manipur has been burning for 50 days, but the Prime Minister has remained silent. An all-party meeting was called when the Prime Minister himself is not in the country. Clearly, this meeting is not important to him,” Rahul said in a tweet in Hindi.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal tweeted, “Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi.”

“After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, Home Minister Amit Shah’s call for an all-party meeting is too little too late,” he tweeted.

Countering the charge, BJP’s information and technology department head Amit Malviya said the violence in Manipur “is a legacy of the Congress, which thrives on chaos and conflict”.

“The seeds of ethnic conflict we are witnessing today were sown when the Congress was in power, both in the Centre and the state, in the 1990s and decades after. Do we even need to remind the Congress how Churachandpur in Manipur burnt between 2015-17 following protests against the Okram Ibobi Singh govt?”

Meeting not important to PM

Manipur has been burning for 50 days, but the PM has remained silent. An all-party meeting was called when the PM himself is not in the country. Clearly, this meeting is not important to him. Rahul Gandhi, Cong leader

Congress’ role in past conflicts

The seeds of ethnic conflict we are witnessing today were sown when the Congress was in power, both in the Centre and the state, in the 1990s and decades after. Churachandpur burnt between 2015-17 Amit Malviya, BJP leader