PM has been eloquent in his silence on Manipur crisis: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh 

On the first anniversary of the eruption of ethnic violence in Manipur, the Congress party launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "continued silence" on the crisis-riddled state.

In a social media post, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP-led government of stoking divisions through its "cynical and divisive politics," leading to a "civil war-like situation" in Manipur.

Ramesh stated that despite hundreds of casualties, thousands displaced, and a breakdown of constitutional machinery acknowledged by the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister has not visited Manipur, met with stakeholders or made substantive statements addressing the crisis.

"What is astounding is that just fifteen months earlier in the assembly elections, the BJP and its allies had received a thundering mandate. That mandate evaporated on May 3, 2023, entirely because of the BJP's own (mis)calculations and manipulations," Ramesh said.

The Congress leader criticised the BJP's "Bluff and Rule" policy in the Northeast, accusing it of prioritising short-term political gains over addressing community concerns, which he claimed has "blown apart the social fabric of Manipur" and risks a similar situation in Nagaland.

Ramesh lamented that despite a 123-minute speech during the no-confidence motion, the PM spoke on Manipur for just 3 minutes in "very general terms," indicating he had "abandoned the people of Manipur."

Praising Rahul Gandhi's outreach, including two visits to Manipur, Ramesh said, "The pain and agony of the people of Manipur is the pain and agony of the people of India."

The violence erupted on May 3, 2023, after protests by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur, leading to clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities and deployment of paramilitary forces.