A reluctant Rahul took a chopper to Churachandpur after the stand-off in Bishnupur culminated in cops using tear gas to disperse the throng of women questioning if the administration had “anything to hide”. A member of the security contingent suffered a splinter injury in the melee.
Inclement weather ultimately curtailed Rahul’s trip, the first to Manipur by any opposition leader since violence erupted on May 3, following his visit to the Greenwood relief camp in Tuibuong and another at a government college in Hiangtam to interact with displaced families staying there. He was to proceed to Moirang and stay the night there, but had to return to Imphal. He met inmates of relief camps and representatives of community groups in the state capital.
BJP accused Rahul of triggering the chaos by being “stubborn” despite the police warning of possible grenade attacks by armed outfits along the route to Churachandpur. “I have always said, Rahul Gandhi and responsibility never travel together,” BJP spokesperson and the party’s Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra said.
AICC’s Northeast minder Ajoy Kumar claimed police had given Rahul permission to travel by road, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused PM Narendra Modi of using “autocratic methods” to stall Rahul’s “compassionate outreach”. He tweeted that this was “totally unacceptable and shatters all constitutional and democratic norms”.
Rahul had landed in Imphal around 11.30 am on a two-day visit. He faced the first hitch 20km into his road trip to Churachandpur district, the first of several flashpoints of the ethnic conflict since early May.
Another group opposed to his visit, a smaller one than the gathering of women in Bishnupur, had blocked the road with a tree trunk and burnt tyres. One placard held up by the protesters read, “We want peace, not politics.”
The huge gathering of Congress supporters shouted back, “He is here to know the situation, not to spread politics.”
Rahul later tweeted, “I came to listen to all my brothers and sisters of Manipur. People of all communities are very welcoming and loving. It’s very unfortunate that the government is stopping me. Manipur needs healing. Peace has to be our only priority.”
Manipur PCC chief K Meghachandra, who was accompanying Rahul, said thousands of people had gathered on both sides of the highway to greet him as the convoy was moving from Imphal to Bishnupur.
Congress has been demanding President’s rule in Manipur, alleging that the BJP-led government of CM N Biren Singh had completely failed to deal with the violence.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “Rahul Gandhi ji has gone to share the pain of people of Manipur and spread the message of peace. The BJP government should also do the same. Why does the government want to stop Rahul Gandhi ji?”
Watch Rahul Gandhi’s convoy stopped on way to Churachandpur, later takes chopper to visit place
