The Congress on Saturday asked Centre to resolve the ongoing Manipur crisis before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, most likely to be held in March and April, this year.
Addressing the press in Imphal, Congress national general secretary and in-charge of Sikkim and Nagaland Ranajit Mukherjee said, “The stand of Congress is a resolution to the conflict. It’s more important than anything else, including elections”.
He also said that the government should bring all conflicting parties to the negotiating table and bring about a resolution that every community of the state wants.
Commenting on the Supreme Court’s order invalidating the electoral bonds, the leader said, “Finally, a huge travesty has been addressed by the Supreme Court and the petitions filed by the Association of Democratic Reforms, CPI-M, Congress leaders and others.”
“It proves what the Congress has been saying all along about electoral financial resources…a system was created in which it ensures that all donations will go to only the ruling party,” he added.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP “backed out” of what they promised before 2014.
“During the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi during his campaign had promised to provide the MSP based on the recommendations of the late MS Swaminathan, whom the Centre recently conferred with the Bharat Ratna. The BJP should have implemented his recommendations as that would be an equally great tribute to him,” Mukherjee said.
Manipur is experiencing sporadic violence ever since ethnic tensions erupted between the Valley-dominant Meiteis and the hill-dominant Kukis on May 3 last year. The clashes have resulted in the loss of over 180 lives, leaving thousands internally displaced.
Recently, two persons were killed in Manipur’s Churachandpur town in a clash with security forces when a mob barged into the mini-secretariat to protest the suspension of a constable. 42 people were also injured during the clash that took place on February 15.
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