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BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Saturday called the Opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc’s visit to Manipur ‘political tourism’. Hitting out at the leaders sharing photos on social media of their travel, Tiwari suggested that they should focus on assessing the situation in the strife-torn northeastern state and think about discussing the issue in Parliament.
Speaking to news agency ANI, the Northeast Delhi MP said, “Instead of analysing the situation there (Manipur), they are posting pictures on their way to and from the airport, so are they on political tourism? They should consider having a discussion in Parliament…”
A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition INDIA alliance reached Imphal earlier in the day to understand the ground situation in the state hit by ethnic violence since May 3.
The team of opposition MPs would visit several relief camps to meet victims of the clashes. Asserting that they do not want to indulge in ‘politics’, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhurytold PTI, “We want the end of violence and the restoration of peace at the earliest…the entire world is watching what is going on in Manipur.”
After their arrival in Imphal by a commercial flight from Delhi, the delegation went to Churachandpur, where fresh violence had taken place, to meet victims from the Kuki community in the relief camps.
On BJP’s claims of politicisation of the Manipur issue, Congress lawmakerGauravGogoi said, “We would have been very happy to be a part of an all-party delegation led by the prime minister. But he is completely missing from the scene. He has not uttered a single word about Manipur in Parliament.”
On Sunday, the opposition MPs will meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan to discuss possible measures to resolve the conflict.
Union minister Anurag Thakur called the two-day visit a “mere show-off”. The senior BJP leader alleged that when Manipur used to burn under previous governments, they didn’t object in Parliament then and added that the delegation will not allow both Houses to function after their return on Sunday afternoon.
More than 160 people have lost their lives and several injured in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population while tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute 40 per cent of the population.
(With inputs from PTI)
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