New Delhi– Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh launched a fierce critique of BJP National President JP Nadda, accusing him of using his recent letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to deflect from the ongoing crisis in Manipur.
In a sharply-worded statement, Ramesh charged the BJP with ignoring the core issues facing the violence-stricken state, which has been in turmoil since May 2023. “It has been 18 months. Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been burning. The BJP, which won a full majority in the 2022 Manipur elections, has turned its ‘double-engine government’ into a ‘double-game government,’” Ramesh stated.
The Congress leader accused Nadda of spreading falsehoods to divert public attention. “This letter of JP Nadda only contains lies. He is trying to divert attention from the main matter,” Ramesh alleged.
Ramesh highlighted pressing concerns raised by the people of Manipur, framing them as questions the BJP leadership must answer:
- Why has Prime Minister Narendra Modi not visited Manipur in the last 18 months?
- Why is there no full-time Governor in Manipur?
- Why have political parties withdrawn support from the Chief Minister, yet he continues to feel secure with protection from Delhi?
- Why has no action been taken against drug mafias, despite their alleged involvement in fueling unrest?
Ramesh also criticized the BJP’s reliance on Union Home Minister Amit Shah to manage the crisis. “The Prime Minister has outsourced Manipur to the Union Home Minister, who has completely failed,” he remarked.
Nadda’s letter, issued on November 21, defended the BJP government’s handling of the crisis while pointing to developmental strides under its leadership. He cited a significant reduction in multidimensional poverty in Manipur, claiming it dropped from over 20% in 2013 to just over 5% in 2022. Nadda also referenced Congress’s alleged mismanagement during the 1990s and a 120-day economic blockade in 2011 under Congress rule.
The escalating war of words underscores the national spotlight on Manipur’s volatile situation. The Congress continues to portray the BJP’s leadership as ineffectual, while the BJP counters by highlighting Congress’s historical failures.
As the crisis persists, the political debate intensifies, with both parties attempting to frame the narrative ahead of the upcoming parliamentary session where Rahul Gandhi is expected to press for answers.