"Northeast Is Burning, PM Busy Doing Campaigns In Karnataka," Chhattisgarh CM On Manipur Violence

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the situation in Manipur and said the ‘Northeast is burning and the PM is busy doing poll campaigns in Karnataka’

Manipur has been on the boil in the wake of clashes between the majority Meitei community and other tribal groups over a high court order asking the Manipur government to consider including the former in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Addressing the press conference in Bengaluru, CM Baghel said, ‘PM is busy doing campaigns in Karnataka. The Northeast is burning, and soldiers are dying, but the PM is not saying anything.’

‘There is no discussion on what they will do in the interest of the people of Karnataka, they are just campaigning and seeking votes,’ he said.

The final leg of campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections has intensified in Karnataka. Top leaders of BJP and Congress are campaigning for the assembly elections in the southern state.

Earlier, on May 3, amid the prevailing disquiet and upturn in incidents of violence in the state, the district administration imposed a curfew in Churachandpur district, one of the worst-affected areas in the ongoing conflict.

However, the Manipur government on Sunday partially relaxed the curfew from 7 am to 10 am to allow people to buy essential items.

The decision was taken after the law and order situation improved in the Churachandpur district following talks between the state government and various stakeholders, a notification stated.

Amid the ongoing violence in Manipur, Governor Sushri Anusuiya Uikey on Saturday appealed to the people in the state to maintain brotherhood and dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity, said an official release from the governor’s office.

In the statement, the Governor said, ‘Violent incidents and arson that took place in the state during the last few days disturbed mutual brotherhood and peace. Some brothers and sisters of the state also died suddenly in these unfortunate incidents.

I appeal to all of you, being Governor of this state, that according to Manipur state’s excellent co-existence, brotherhood and mutual cooperation, all of you should maintain brotherhood, dispel the feeling of fear and insecurity and cooperate with the people around you.’

Earlier, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh conducted a meeting with the representatives of the ‘Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)’ in the wake of the violence in the state.