- Friday, February 28, 2025
At least three delegations of politicians from the disturbed Indian state, failed to have an audience with the prime minister despite having camped in New Delhi for days.
By: Shubham Ghosh
AT LEAST three delegations of politicians from the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur which has been witnessing ethnic violence for over a month now, failed to have an audience with prime minister Narendra Modi despite having camped in New Delhi for days.
Two of those delegations were from Modi’s own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which also rules Manipur and the remaining one from the opposition Indian National Congress, The Wire reported.
Modi has faced a backlash over his alleged silence over the violence that started on May 3 and has continued to erupt periodically despite the home minister, Amit Shah, visiting the state earlier this month. Missing posters also reportedly came up in the state showing Modi’s face as people vented anger by smashing transistor sets during the airing of the prime minister’s radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ (Inner Thoughts) in the state.
9 more dead in Manipur. Curfew is back. More than 100 dead in Manipur violence, thousands injured, and 60,000 displaced. Modi is missing posters in Manipur. pic.twitter.com/ZMO1RLWWhf
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) June 14, 2023
Political opponents, civil society groups and local people questioned the silence of Modi when armed civilian mobs belonging to the warring Meitei and Kuki communities were seen dominating the streets of Manipur.
The state government of N Biren Singh has been slammed and accused of not being able to control the law and order situation.
According to local reports from Manipur, two sets of BJP lawmakers from the state have been camping in New Delhi since June 15 to meet Modi. Imphal Free Press reported that at least nine BJP members of the Manipur legislative assembly belonging to the Meitei community and opposed to the Singh government over its handling of the situation sought appointment with the prime minister on June 15.
They received an acknowledgement the same day but according to the Imphal Free Press, the delegation submitted a memorandum to the PM’s office on Monday (19) as Modi was leaving for the US on Tuesday (20).
Another delegation of BJP lawmakers from Manipur had also sought an audience with the PM but could not get to meet him. They instead met defence minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the party’s in-charge for Manipur, Sambit Patra.
A delegation from the Congress led by former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has also been camping in the capital for an audience with Modi but did not get an acknowledgement from the PM’s office, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told The Wire.
Ramesh took a dig at the prime minister for not giving audience to lawmakers from even his own party and said the BJP was divided in Manipur and Modi didn’t care.
“Today, one group of BJP MLAs from Manipur met the Raksha Mantri. Today, another group of BJP MLAs from Manipur went to submit a memorandum to the PM, which said that the people had completely lost faith in the state administration – essentially saying the CM has to be replaced. He did not see them of course. The BJP itself in Manipur is not united. That is why the state is bitterly divided today. And the PM simply doesn’t care!” he tweeted on Monday.
Today one group of BJP MLAs from Manipur met the Raksha Mantri.
Today another group of BJP MLAs from Manipur went to submit a memorandum to the PM, which said that the people had completely lost faith in the state administration — essentially saying the CM has to be replaced. He…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 19, 2023
In another tweet on Tuesday, Ramesh posted a memorandum that 10 opposition parties of Manipur wanted to submit to Modi and said, “He had no time for them or even for BJP MLAs. Why is he so extraordinarily callous, insensitive & silent on Manipur. Shocking would be a mild word to describe it.”
Here is memorandum that 10 Opposition Parties of Manipur wanted to submit to the PM. He had no time for them or even for BJP MLAs. Why is he so extraordinarily callous, insensitive & silent on Manipur. Shocking would be a mild word to describe it. pic.twitter.com/vyeO7behun
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 20, 2023
Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and former chief minister of the western state of Maharashtra, slammed Modi for not visiting Manipur as he attacked the BJP during an event in state capital Mumbai to mark the 57th foundation of the Shiv Sena which his father Balasaheb Thackeray had laid. Thackeray taunted Modi and the BJP saying the “double engine” government, a term which is often used by the BJP to refer to it being in power in New Delhi as well as in a state, has got derailed in Manipur but yet the prime minister was heading for the US.
