Nirmala Sitharaman: Congress Ignored Violence in Manipur
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Synopsis
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused the Congress party of neglecting the violence in Manipur during their rule, highlighting the lack of ministerial visits and contrasting it with the proactive approach of the current BJP government.
Key Takeaways
- Nirmala Sitharaman criticized Congress for neglecting violence in Manipur.
- Congress led Manipur from 2002 to 2017, resulting in significant unrest.
- Recent BJP government took proactive measures with ministerial visits.
- Historical violence incidents cited to challenge opposition claims.
- Opposition protests highlighted the contentious nature of the discussion.
New Delhi, March 18 (NationPress) During a debate on Manipur in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized the Congress party for their negligence towards the violence in the state during their governance.
She claimed that when both the central and state governments were led by Congress, hundreds lost their lives, yet no Union Minister made an effort to visit Manipur to evaluate the situation and help ease tensions.
Sitharaman pointed out that Congress ruled Manipur from 2002 to 2017, while also leading the central government until 2014. "During this period, Manipur dealt with 628 shutdowns and blockades, resulting in a staggering loss of Rs 2,828 crore to the state treasury," she stated.
She highlighted that in 2011, under Congress leadership, Manipur suffered a 120-day economic blockade which led to severe shortages of essential goods. "At that time, petrol prices surged to Rs 200 per litre, and cooking gas reached Rs 2,000 per cylinder," she noted.
In contrast, Sitharaman praised the BJP government, stating that when the recent unrest erupted, Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally visited Manipur, dedicating four days to meet with affected communities. "He moved from one camp to another, engaging with diverse groups during the most critical times," she explained.
She also mentioned that Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai spent 23 days in Manipur.
Targeting the opposition, Sitharaman asserted, "No Union Minister visited Manipur during violence under Congress rule, but our double-engine government has ensured ministers are consistently present on the ground."
Her statements ignited protests from opposition members, including TMC MP Sushmita Dev. In a heated exchange, Sitharaman admonished the TMC members, saying, "This is the Rajya Sabha, not the streets of Kolkata where you can create chaos, throw stones, and merely escape."
In response to a CPI-M MP's claim that communal violence of this magnitude had never happened in Manipur before, Sitharaman countered by referencing incidents during the Left's governance. "The most horrific riots in West Bengal occurred under CPI-M. Violence also transpired in Tripura and Kerala during their rule," she asserted.
Reflecting on past violence in Manipur, Sitharaman recalled that during Congress Chief Minister Rajkumar Dorendra Singh's administration in 1993, ethnic conflicts between Kukis and Nagas resulted in 750 fatalities and the destruction of 350 villages. She alleged that neither the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao nor Home Minister Shankarrao Chavan visited the state amidst the turmoil.
She also referenced violence during Inder Kumar Gujral's tenure as Prime Minister in 1997-98, when 350 individuals lost their lives, yet no Minister traveled to Manipur.
Sitharaman's statements were made in response to the opposition's demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the violence-affected Manipur.
Earlier on Monday, Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil had called for the Prime Minister's visit to Manipur to express solidarity with its people.
