Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday alleged that “attempts were made to alter Manipur’s demography through infiltration”, adding that the Lok Sabha election is between the forces “trying to break Manipur and those keeping it united”.
“The most important thing is that no matter how much one tries- ‘hum Manipur ko tutne nahi denge’ (we won’t allow Manipur to break),” ANI quoted Shah as saying at a rally in Manipur’s capital Imphal.
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“Establishment of peace in Manipur by taking all communities on board and without breaking the state is the priority of the Narendra Modi government,” the minister said.
“I want to tell this today that our (CM) Biren Singh may not say this, but he kept a big demand before PM Modi – Manipur cannot remain united without inner-line permit. The BJP government has strengthened Manipur by giving inner-line permit,” Shah added.
At least 219 people were killed after ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3 last year, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
“Destiny of country will change when that of northeast and Manipur will change,” Shah said during the rally.
PM Modi says ‘marked improvement’ in situation in Manipur
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with an Assam-based newspaper had said that there is a ‘marked improvement’ in the situation in Manipur.
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“I have already spoken about this in Parliament. We have dedicated our best resources and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict. Because of the timely intervention of the government of India and efforts by the Manipur government, there has been a marked improvement in the situation of the state,” the prime minister had said.
Last year, PM Modi while addressing Parliament had expressed his commitment to addressing the suffering of the people of Manipur.
“I want to assure the people of Manipur that India is with you. Parliament is with you. We will together find a solution to this challenge,” he had said.
