Rama Krishna Sangem
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 9, Wednesday hit out at the Opposition in his speech on Day 2 of the no-confidence debate in Lok Sabha. Addressing the Manipur issue in Lok Sabha, Amit Shah said that Manipur violence is shameful, but politicising it even more shameful.
“I agree with the Opposition that violence has occurred there, and no one can condone that. However, engaging in politics over this issue is equally shameful. You are indulging in political maneuvers,” he said.
In response to Rahul Gandhi’s accusation that PM Modi does not consider Manipur to be a part of India, Amit Shah stated, “PM Modi has worked to bring the Northeast into the mainstream. There are individuals who have been Prime Minister for 15 years and I am embarrassed for them. However, in the last nine years, PM Modi has visited the Northeast over 50 times. This demonstrates that the Northeast is an integral part of India.”
“It has been stated that this government was not prepared for a discussion on Manipur… Through you, I wish to inform the House that I had sent an email to the Chair indicating our readiness for the discussion. We were ready for the discussion from day one. You did not allow the Home Minister to present his perspective on a significant matter like Manipur,” Shah said in his response to the Opposition requests to address Manipur issue.
Speaking on the Manipur conflict, Shah stated that the Kuki Democratic Front began an agitation for democracy in Myanmar, and when the Myanmar government took action, they began moving in.
Around 10,000 Kukis started coming in, leading to security concerns in Manipur. We took note of this and initiated fencing, said Shah.
“The rapid increase in population created insecurity within the Meitei community. Rumors began circulating on April 29, resulting in unrest. The Manipur High Court’s April judgment further escalated the situation. Subsequently, clashes erupted, leading to the current state of affairs,” he added.
Speaking on the viral video of women paraded naked and raped in Manipur, Shah said, “Such actions cannot be supported anywhere in the world. Media friends pointed at me and asked if the video should be handed over to the police. Why did it emerge a day before the parliamentary session? Nine people were identified, arrested, and are facing trial since the video came to light.”
“I was there for three days and nights, while Nityanand ji was present for 23 days. A commission has been appointed to investigate this. A buffer zone has been established and a unified command has been instituted as well. Six cases were with the CBI, and 11 more cases have been handed over to the CBI. Rice and medical teams were provided. Online education has commenced. 98 per cent of schools are open, with 80 per cent attendance,” said Amit Shah.
On Opposition’s demand of Manipur CM N Biren Singh’s removal, Amit Shah said there is no need to change the chief minister.
“The CM is cooperating, and there is no need to replace him. We held 16 video conferences and sent 36,000 security forces there. The chief secretary, DGP, and advisor were changed. A security advisor was also sent. In 28 days, we established the railway connection and restored supplies,” he said.
People have confidence in PM Modi’
Earlier, during his address in Lok Sabha, Shah said that the only reason to bring the no confidence motion was to mislead the people.
“Sometimes in order to check the government’s majority, the Opposition brings the no-confidence motion. The government and the house have full confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Whenever you bring a no-confidence motion, you bring arguments over the policies and decisions. It was brought only for kranti [revolution],” Amit Shah said.
“The no-trust motion was brought to mislead people. The house and the people have full confidence in the government,” he said, adding, “The no-confidence motion is a constitutional process, and we have no objection. I believe it brings out the real face of alliances. When Narasimha Rao was in power, a no-confidence motion was brought and the Congress wanted to save the government. They won the motion and sent many political leaders to jail.”
