Opposition targets PM Modi on Manipur; BJP hits back: ‘Congress created divide decades ago’

Participating in a discussion on the Manipur Budget 2025-26 and four Bills, Shaktisinh Gohil of Congress said: “The PM comes from Gujarat. I would like to appeal to him, Gandhi-ji was also from Gujarat… Follow the Gandhi Model and visit Manipur,” he said.

CPI(M)’s Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya said, “Now with the double-engine failing, you come back to Parliament and speak so loud that whatever the PM has done, is such a beautiful thing… I, of course, thank the PM that you did not go there. Had you gone there, things would have worsened…”

RJD member Manoj Jha said had the Prime Minister visited Manipur, the situation “would not have been this explosive”. He alleged that there was a delayed response to the violence in the state. “The question is what are we doing to remove the disparities between communities,” he asked.

AAP member Sanjay Singh claimed he was suspended for 11 months from the House for raising the Manipur issue. He also demanded an inquiry into a purported audio clip involving former Manipur CM Biren Singh. When Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, who was presiding over the House proceedings at the time, asked him to authenticate the claim, Singh said the clip was in the public domain. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy objected to the AAP member’s remarks.

DMK member P Wilson said the budget allocation to the state is inadequate to meet the concerns of more than 60,000 displaced people, the damages caused to life and property and for the rehabilitation of the displaced persons. He urged the Finance Minister to be gracious enough to help Manipur come back to normalcy.

Kerala Congress (M) member Jose K Mani said political will, genuine dialogue and leadership that stands with the people will bring peace in Manipur.

BJP MP Arun Singh targeted the Congress. “There was Congress government when riots took place in Manipur in 1993 and over 750 deaths occurred and 305 villages were destroyed. Leave the Prime Minister, Congress’s (then) Home Minister too did not visit the state,” he said.

Singh said from the BJP-led NDA government, Home Minister Amit Shah stayed in Manipur for three days and the MoS inister of State for Home Affairs stayed there for three months. He said development was going on in Manipur and peace was being restored.