Imphal: The Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s one-day visit to Manipur, aimed at campaigning for the BJP candidate in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency, Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh, presently state Education and Law Minister, began with attack against the Indian National Congress party and a stern warning against those plotting to destabilize Manipur.
Speaking at a public gathering at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal’s Palace Compound, Amit Shah, donning a Tangkhul and Meetei/Meitei stole, highlighted the significance of the 2024 general election, framing it as a contest between forces seeking to break Manipur and those striving to maintain its unity.
The senior BJP leader, who is also a star campaigner for the saffron party, emphasized the demand for an Inner Line Permit in Manipur, stating, “Our Chief Minister Biren Singh may not say this explicitly, but he presented a significant demand to PM Modi – Manipur cannot remain united without an Inner Line Permit. The BJP government has bolstered Manipur by implementing the ILP.”
Amit Shah in the public rally also expressed concern over attempts at demographic changes through infiltration, asserted, “I will not allow Manipur to fragment. Ensuring peace in Manipur by inclusive engagement with all communities is a top priority of the Narendra Modi government.”
He criticized the Congress for what he termed as turning Manipur into a restricted state, stating, “Intruders are entering this state and conspiring to alter its demographic composition. That’s why PM Modi has decided to fortify [Free Movement Regime] the Myanmar border and safeguard Manipur.” Shah said that Manipur and other Northeast states have no hope under the Congress regime.
Taking a jibe on the Congress party, Shah said “except loots, oppositions, bandhs and blockade, no developmental activities were taken up during the 10-year tenure of the Sonia Gandhi and Manmohon Singh’s regime.”
Apart from leaders of the state BJP, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, Manipur BJP chief A Sarda Devi and party candidate in the fray from the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency Th Basantakumar also attended the rally held in Imphal’s Hapta Kangjeibung.
In the run up to Shah’s visit, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) had expressed surprise over the visit of the Union Home minister “who failed to come” to the state after he had visited the state during the initial stage of the violence. Addressing the media at Imphal Congress Bhavan, MPCC working president Kh Debabrata had pointed out the ill-treatment toward the people of Manipur by the ruling BJP government at the centre, shown by the failure of the centre’s intervention to end the protracted crisis in the state.