Shameful to politicise Manipur, says Shah

New Delhi: Tearing into the newly formed Opposition alliance "INDIA" for playing politics over Manipur violence, Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that while these incidents are shameful, politicising them is even more shameful.

As the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution calling for the restoration of peace in the northeastern state, Shah urged the warring Kuki and Meitei communities to hold talks with the government.

Intervening in the debate on the no-confidence motion after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition members slammed the government's handling of the Manipur situation, Shah urged them not to politicise the issue of ethnic violence in the state.

"I agree with the Opposition that there is a cycle of violence in Manipur... Nobody can support such incidents. Whatever happened is shameful, but to politicise those events is even more shameful," the Union home minister said.

The Lok Sabha also adopted a resolution, read out by Speaker Om Birla, appealing for peace in Manipur. The NDA members, in the presence of the Opposition, enthusiastically supported the resolution.    

In his nearly two-hour intervention, Shah ruled out a change of guard in Manipur, asserting that the chief minister was cooperating with the Centre in the efforts to restore peace.

The Union home minister also talked about the May 4 incident video in which two women were stripped and paraded naked by a mob. Referring to the video, which appeared on July 19, Shah said the government was not aware of it.

"Had the video been made available to the state director-general of police instead of being circulated on social media, it would have helped nab the culprits in time," Shah said, while questioning the intention of leaking the video on social media ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
"Such actions cannot be supported anywhere in the world. Media friends pointed this out to me and asked if the video should be handed over to the police. Why did it emerge a day before the parliamentary session? Nine people were identified, arrested and are facing trial since the video came to light," he said.

Shah also spoke on the origin of hostilities and urged the two warring communities to come to the dialogue table. "I urge both communities (the Kukis and the Meiteis) to sit with the Centre and talk to resolve the issue. We do not wish to change the demography. I am talking to them personally. Please do not politicise this," he said.

The Union home minister further informed the Lok Sabha that problems started in Manipur with the influx of Kuki refugees from neighbouring Myanmar after the military rulers there started a crackdown against militants in 2021.

"The Kuki refugees started settling down in the jungles in the Manipur valley, raising fears of a demographic change in the region. The unrest in the Manipur valley began when rumours began to circulate that the refugee settlements have been declared villages," Shah said.

He noted that the Manipur High Court order to fast-track the process for the inclusion of Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes added fuel to the fire.
"The violence that broke out on May 3 has been continuing to date and the Centre has established a peace committee as part of efforts to restore normalcy in the state. Over 36,000 security personnel have been stationed between the Kukis and the Meiteis as a buffer zone. The anger has not subsided yet, but violence has reduced," the minister said.

He further noted that a unified command has been created to coordinate between the BSF, CRPF, Assam Rifles and the Manipur police deployed there. Six cases of conspiracy have been handed over to the CBI.

Shah also questioned the character of the Opposition alliance, saying its true face was seen when it indulged in corruption to save its governments.
He said that when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee faced a no-trust vote in 1999, he chose to step down instead of indulging in corruption to save his government.

"The character of political parties and alliances is revealed in such times of crises. The UPA's character is to indulge in corruption to save the government by hook or by crook, while the BJP-led NDA's character is to stand up to the principles," Shah said.

He noted that the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had faced a no-confidence motion in 1993 and the Congress then chose to remain in power by hook or by crook.

"Narasimha Rao won the trust vote, but Jharkhand Mukti Morcha members had to go to jail. Later, Narasimha Rao also went to jail... Today, the Congress and the JMM are sitting in the Opposition in the Lok Sabha," the Union home minister said.

Shah further noted that in 2008, the Manmohan Singh government brought the confidence motion and this House saw its most disgraceful moments when MPs were bribed in crores of rupees and the government was saved and said, "This is the character of the UPA."

Shah said that the Opposition parties do not have confidence in the government, but the people of the nation think otherwise. "Post-Independence, if the nation has confidence in any leader, it is Narendra Modi who was elected twice with a complete majority. After 30 years, people elected a full majority government," he said.

Referring to the Opposition leaders' speech, Shah said that he had heard the speeches of the Opposition leaders and has reached the conclusion that this no-confidence motion was brought in the House only to create confusion.
He told the House that on the Quit India movement's anniversary, the Prime Minister has given the slogan — 'Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India and Appeasement Quit India'.

"Modi has ushered in a new era of politics since 2014, that of development, which will lead to the creation of India of the dreams of our freedom fighters much before 2047," Shah said.