Sharad Pawar, the chief of the nationalist Congress party (NCP), criticised the Narendra Modi government for failing to use the authority and resources at its disposal to stop the current violence in Manipur, where ethnic confrontations have claimed more than 100 lives so far.
Speaking at a function organised to mark the NCP’s 24th foundation day, the former defence minister said the BJP-ruled Manipur is a border state and its international boundary could be misused by neighbouring countries. The state is witnessing violence for the last 45 days, but those in power have no time to think about the prevailing situation and what it may lead to, Pawar said.
Rajya Sabha MP maintained Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently visiting the United States, should focus on tackling the country’s internal situation. The prime minister can go wherever he wants, but first he should tackle the internal situation and for that power in hand is not being used (to improve situation in Manipur), said the NCP leader.
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur that broke out over a month ago. Clashes first broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Speaking about the June 23 meeting of anti-BJP parties in Patna, Pawar, a key participant at the mega gathering, said, Opposition parties will sit together and formulate a policy on how to come together to protect democracy. The former Union agriculture minister claimed that in the last five months alone 391 farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra.