National Desk, 12th June: Leaders from the Congress and other opposition parties have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to heed the advice of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and visit Manipur, a state that has been embroiled in violence for over a year. This plea comes a day after Bhagwat emphasized the urgency of addressing the situation in the strife-torn northeastern state.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh suggested that perhaps Bhagwat could persuade Modi, a former RSS office-bearer, to visit Manipur. Meanwhile, independent MP Kapil Sibal pointed out that while it may not be in Modi’s nature to listen to opposition advice, he should at least pay attention to the words of the RSS chief.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized Bhagwat for voicing his concerns late and accused the Prime Minister of maintaining silence on various crises, including the ongoing violence in Manipur. “The prime minister has merely kept silent on every crisis, whether it be the violence in Manipur or the protests by farmers and female wrestlers in Delhi,” Yadav said.
Manipur has witnessed clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May last year, resulting in around 200 deaths and the displacement of thousands. Recent violence has also been reported in Jiribam.
Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), took a swipe at the Prime Minister, saying, “If not the ‘one-third’ Prime Minister’s conscience or the repeated demands of the people of Manipur, perhaps Mr. Bhagwat can prevail upon the former RSS office-bearer to go to Manipur.”
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel noted that Bhagwat’s remarks indicate growing differences between the BJP and RSS. “Mohan Bhagwat’s comments on Manipur after a year show that the differences between BJP and RSS, which were highlighted by JP Nadda, are evident now,” Baghel said.
Addressing a gathering in Nagpur, Bhagwat expressed concern over the prolonged violence in Manipur, stressing that the situation must be prioritized. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal welcomed Bhagwat’s statement and cautioned the new NDA government against repeating the mistakes of the past decade.
Sibal said, “I have been repeating this for many months… When I was in the Rajya Sabha, during the Vajpayee government, he used to call the Opposition ‘Pratipaksh’, not ‘Virodhi’. PM Modi made the Opposition ‘Virodhi’.” He added that Manipur should be given priority and criticized the government’s inability to remove CM N Biren Singh amidst the ongoing crisis.
NCP leader Supriya Sule echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for action in Manipur. “We have been questioning the government over the Manipur issue for months. A lot of discussions took place in Parliament over the Manipur situation. Manipur is an integral part of the country,” Sule said.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi expressed skepticism about the Prime Minister heeding Bhagwat’s advice but reiterated that the INDIA bloc is committed to speaking on behalf of the people. “Thankfully, the people have chosen the INDIA alliance to speak up on its behalf and defend the Indian Parliament and the Constitution,” Gogoi wrote on X.
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil described Bhagwat as a “fatherly figure” with the right to speak out if something undesirable is happening. Meanwhile, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the BJP of shortchanging Bihar in the portfolio allocation, despite the state’s decisive role in the new central government.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also commented on the situation, stating that Bhagwat’s call for attention to Manipur has come too late. “In the last one year, the central government has not taken the internal conflict and violence in Manipur seriously,” Gehlot posted on X, noting that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Manipur several times, unlike Prime Minister Modi.