Imphal, Jul 08, 2024, IANS

Imphal, July 8 (IANS) Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Monday after visiting camps in Manipur, once again urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the violence ravaged state and announced that Congress is ready to do whatever possible to restore peace in the northeastern state. After visiting relief camps in Jiribam and Churachandpur districts and meeting Governor Anusuiya Uikey, LoP Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister should come to the state for a day or two days and listen to the affected people of Manipur. “Even if there is no violence, the Prime Minister should come to Manipur to know its problem and issues,” LoP Rahul Gandhi told the media before leaving the state for Lucknow. He said that the Indian government must reach out to violence-hit people and embrace them to restore peace. “We are ready to support whatever possible to restore peace in Manipur. The state needs to get out of the suffering. Violence and hatred would not solve the crisis. I am ready to visit Manipur five times, ten times to support the people of Manipur.” Referring to his discussion with the Governor, LoP Rahul Gandhi said that he is not happy with the situation in Manipur and ‘we expressed our displeasure to the Governor’. “I told the Governor that I was expecting some improvement in the Manipur situation but I am quite disappointed that it is still no way near what it should be. I do not want to politicise the Manipur issue, this is not our intention at all,” the LoP Rahul Gandhi said and remarked that there was a tremendous tragedy for everybody in Manipur. He said that he came to Manipur once again to listen to the affected people and to build their confidence. “As in the opposition party, we try to pressurise the government to normalise the situation. The need of the hour is peace, violence hurts everyone, thousands of people are affected, many are killed, and huge numbers of property are destroyed. I have never seen such a situation anywhere in India,” LoP Rahul Gandhi said. Noting that the state was completely divided in ethnic lines, the LoP said that he came to Manipur as the brother of the people of the state. The LoP left for Imphal airport after his brief media briefing in the Congress Bhavan and refused to take any questions from the media. On Monday, LoP Rahul Gandhi first visited a relief camp in Jiribam, where fresh violence occurred after the killing of 59-year-old Soibam Saratkumar Singh, a farmer, on June 6, and met the inmates of the relief camps. State Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh, who accompanied LoP Rahul Gandhi, said that the inmates at the Jiribam camp told the LoP about the horrific experiences they went through. A girl told LoP Rahul Gandhi that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Chief Minister N Biren Singh had come to visit Jiribam and she also urged the LoP to highlight their plight in the Parliament, Meghachandra told the media. From Jiribam, the LoP came to Imphal via Silchar (Assam) and visited a relief camp in Tuibong village in Churachandpur district. There also the LoP interacted with inmates. Hundreds of men and women greeted LoP Rahul Gandhi both in Jiribam and Churachandpur and women wept while talking to him, the state Congress president said. He said that LoP Rahul Gandhi’s visit firstly provided a moral boost and support to violence-hit people in Manipur and on the other hand to assess the situation on the ground by the LoP himself. “His visit reflects the Congress’ commitment to deal with the concerns of those affected by the ethnic violence,” Meghachandra said. Monday’s visit was the third visit of LoP Rahul Gandhi to the northeastern state after the ethnic violence broke out in the state in May last year. The LoP visited Manipur in June 2023 and also for the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 14. Ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribal communities since May last year claimed more than 220 lives and injured over a thousand in Manipur besides destroying a large number of government and private properties and religious structures.