New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a chopper to a relief camp in Manipur Thursday evening after his cavalcade by road was stopped by the state police fearing violence.
The police action prompted angry comments from his party leadership who accused the state’s BJP government of being autocratic.
Gandhi’s cavalcade was stopped by the police in Bishnupur, 20 kilometres out of Imphal, as it was on its way to a relief camp in Churachandpur where the leader was supposed to meet affected families.
Soon after, party general secretary K.C. Venugopal said they were at a loss to understand why the convoy had been stopped. “Police say they are not in a position to allow us… Rahul Gandhi’s visit is to meet the affected people only. We travelled around 20 to 25 km but there was no road blockage anywhere,” he said, wondering who could have instructed the local police to stop Gandhi.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the BJP had shattered democratic and constitutional norms by not allowing Gandhi to visit Churachandpur.
“Shri Rahul Gandhi’s convoy in Manipur has been stopped by the police near Bishnupur. He is going there to meet the people suffering in relief camps and to provide a healing touch in the strife-torn state. PM Modi has not bothered to break his silence on Manipur. He has left the state to fend for itself,” Kharge said.
“Now, his double engine disastrous governments are using autocratic methods to stall a compassionate outreach by Shri Rahul Gandhi,” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told the media in Delhi that Gandhi had been stubborn and that such visits must be approached with sensitivity.
“Rahul Gandhi wanted to go to Manipur… no one stopped him. The administration made a request. They said that since Rahul’s visit was announced, there were many protests across the state. There are many legacy issues in Manipur… behind which Congress has played a big role,” Patra said.
He also tweeted that Rahul was asked by the local administration to go to Churachandpur by helicopter, but his team had refused.
“Rahul Gandhi’s Manipur visit was vehemently opposed by many civil society organisations & student unions in Manipur. Keeping this in mind the administration requested Rahul Gandhi to take a helicopter to Churachandpur, rather than the road route, since various groups were protesting against his visit. Rahul was stubborn to take the road route,” he said.
“The chopper ticket costs only Rs 2500,” Patra added.
Bishnupur Superintendent of Police Heisnam Balram Singh said his force stopped Gandhi “seeing the ground situation”. “We advised him to travel to Churachandpur via helicopter. There was a possibility of a grenade attack along the highway which Gandhi took. Keeping his security and safety in mind, we did not allow him to move forward.”
Clashes broke out in Manipur on 3 May after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Two months since then, violent clashes have laid bare ethnic fault-lines between the hill-based Kukis and the valley-based Meiteis. More than 110 people have lost their lives, and around 50,000 driven out of their homes. They are staying in nearly 300 relief camps across the state.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi lands in violence-hit Manipur, ‘PM should learn from him,’ says Congress