Tharoor slams BJP over Manipur, calls for imposition of President's rule

Tharoor said voters of Manipur are feeling "grossly betrayed" just a year after putting the BJP in power and called for imposition of President's rule in state that has witnessed violent clashes

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the voters of Manipur are feeling "grossly betrayed" just a year after putting the BJP in power and called for the imposition of President's rule in the state that has witnessed violent clashes.

Violent clashes had broken out in Manipur last week between tribals and members of the majority Meitei community, which has so far displaced thousands of people and killed at least 54.

In a tweet, Tharoor said, "As the Manipur violence persists, all right-thinking Indians must ask themselves what happened to the much-vaunted good governance we had been promised."

"The voters of Manipur are feeling grossly betrayed just a year after putting the BJP in power in their state. It's time for President's Rule; the state government is just not up to the job they were elected to do," the former Union minister said.

The clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the ten hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts.