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‘If PM Modi can go to seek votes…’: Congress leader Pawan Khera's jibe on Manipur violence
Congress leader Pawan Khera inquired if the Prime Minister did not think he had any moral authority left to bring the people of Manipur together.
Congress leader Pawan Khera attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday questioning that if the latter could go to Manipur to seek votes, why couldn't he visit the state to urge the people to unite.
Khera, who is the Congress's chairman of media & publicity department, further inquired if the prime minister did not think he had any moral authority left to bring the people of Manipur together.
Khera said, “If anyone lived upto their responsibilities, it was the Opposition. If Rahul Gandhi could go and stand there [in Manipur], couldn't Narendra Modi go? He goes to seek votes. If PM Modi can go to Manipur to seek votes why can't he go there to appeal to people to unite together? Or you don't have confidence that you have any moral authority left?”
Khera also called the restrictions on the internet and the media shocking.
Over 150 people have died and another 40,000 have been displaced since violence between the tribal Kukis and the Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal Valley, erupted on May 3. The violence in Manipur was triggered during a protest against a court order for granting scheduled tribe status to Meities. The authorities later imposed a curfew and banned the internet.
A massive outcry sparked across the nation on Wednesday after a May 4 video showing three women being paraded naked by a mob went viral on social media. Several Opposition leaders have demanded CM N Biren Singh's resignation and the imposition of President's Rule in the state.
Follow Manipur violence LIVE news updates here.
Further, Khera urged President Droupadi Murmu to dimiss the state government.
He said, “Now, this country has hope only from the President Droupadi Murmu ji, who has struggled her way to reach here. We hope from you President ji, we urge you to use the powers you possess under the Constitution to dismiss the Manipur government, which is more concerned on how the video went viral not because there are thousands of cases like that.”
Speaking to news agency ANI, Khera also took a jibe at the ‘double engine government’ in Manipur, saying that state chief minister N Biren Singh did not even respond to the letters from National Commission of Women (NCW).
“This is your double engine government, where Manipur CM is not responding to letters from NCW. Both [state and Central] are Bharatiya Janata Party's governments. NCW chariperson is also from BJP. This is the condition. Why will he resign? Did their guruji Narendra Modi ji resign when Atal Bihari Vajpayee had asked him to? He [Manipur CM] is following in his [PM Modi] footsteps.”
Questioning Prime Minister Modi's silence over Manipur and the delay in investigation on the viral video, Khera said that wherever wrong was happening, it was being investigated, other than Manipur.
Four accused sent to police custody in Manipur
All four arrested accused, who were allegedly part of a mob that paraded and assaulted three women after stripping them, have been remanded to 11-day police custody on Friday, reported ANI citing Manipur police. The police had arrested the accused persons on Thursday after a viral video of the horrifying incident went viral on social media.
Police officers told HT that more arrests are to follow as the investigating team has identified at least eight more men who were involved in the incident.
