"PM has time for foreign tours but not for visiting Manipur": Sanjay Singh

New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): Attacking the Central government's handling of the Manipur situation, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned his back on the state ravaged by two years of "relentless violence".
"He has time for foreign visits, but not for Manipur," Sanjay Singh said, claiming that PM Modi has only spoken about the issue for a "mere 36 seconds in two years".
Singh blamed the BJP for not acting on the opposition's advice--like "removing Manipur's Chief Minister--for the situation spiralling into such chaos that President's Rule had to be imposed".
According to a statement released by Aam Aadmi Party MP, the Centre should hold immediate elections in Manipur to restore democracy and rebuild the people's trust.
Earlier, while addressing the Rajya Sabha, Sanjay Singh pointed out that he was suspended from Parliament for 11 months--perhaps the longest such suspension in India's parliamentary history--"simply for raising the issue of Manipur and trying to give voice to its people's suffering".
"When I tried to raise the Manipur violence in Parliament, I was suspended for 11 months. I believe I am the longest-suspended Member in India's parliamentary history. All I did was try to make the House listen to the pain of the people of Manipur, to find some solution to their suffering," he said.
The AAP Rajya Sabha MP further added, "My only 'crime' was that I entered the Well of the House while raising slogans. I was initially suspended for one session, but on the last day of that session, the period of suspension was extended. Whether you suspend us for 11 months or have marshals throw us out, it doesn't matter. You are in power--you can do anything."
He added that as long as there are legitimate issues in the country, AAP will not hesitate to raise them repeatedly.
"If any part of the country is burning, if there is violence, unrest, riots, it is our duty as elected Members of Parliament to raise those issues not once, but a thousand times. The Union Home Minister went to Manipur and returned after assessing the situation over 10-15 days. Subsequently, an all-party meeting was convened where most opposition leaders clearly stated that the Chief Minister of Manipur was directly responsible for the violence and must be removed," the AAP MP said.
"We repeatedly warned that peace cannot return to Manipur so long as the very person accused of instigating violence remains in charge," affirmed the AAP MP.
Sanjay Singh highlighted the nature of the conflict, and said, "There is a violent clash between the Kuki and Meitei communities. Only someone genuinely committed to peace can bring about reconciliation. What happened in Manipur is horrifying--churches and temples were burnt, people were murdered, homes were destroyed."
He said that the BJP behaves differently with opposition-ruled states and those ruled by them.
"But in states where they have 'double-engine' governments, they have a greater responsibility for ensuring peace, employment, and development. Yet it is in these very states that communal clashes are most frequent. Look at Uttar Pradesh--every festival, be it Holi, Diwali, Ram Navami, or Eid, is preceded by unrest. What does the BJP hope to achieve by fuelling such tensions?" he said. (ANI)