Congress accuses PM Modi of allowing Manipur to 'go up in flames'

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the situation in Manipur, Congress Tuesday alleged he allowed the state to "go up in flames" and said he travels all over the globe engaging in "huglomacy" but cannot find time to visit the violence-hit state.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said democracy is a tall order and the rule of law itself has fallen apart in the state.

"Here is the non-biological PM telling the people of Manipur that he will do in 15 months what the Congress couldn't do in 15 years," Ramesh said and shared a video of the prime minister speaking at a rally.

"Indeed. Within 15 months of getting a decisive mandate from all sections of Manipur's society, he allowed the state to go up in flames," Ramesh said.

"It is still burning with no respite in sight. The Supreme Court has declared that there is a breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the state. Yet Mr Narendra Modi is unmoved," he said in a post on X.

The prime minister travels all over the globe engaging in "huglomacy", but cannot find the time or the inclination to visit the state since the tragedy began unfolding there on May 3, 2023, the Congress general secretary said.

"Today, more than a year since that unfortunate day, Manipur continues to burn. Today his posters were torn in the heart of Imphal, even as mobile and internet services were cut again. Democracy is a tall order -- the rule of law itself has fallen apart in the state," Ramesh said.

His remarks come amid an escalation of violence in Manipur. The state government on Tuesday suspended internet services in the entire state for five days amid intensified agitation by students.

The decision was taken to curb the use of social media for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video, the state home department said in a notification.

Also, prohibitory orders were imposed in three districts of Manipur. An indefinite curfew, preventing people from coming outside their houses, was clamped in Imphal East and West districts, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of BNSS were imposed in Thoubal.

Clashes between Meitei and Kukis has left over 200 people dead and thousands homeless since May last year.