Gehlot criticises Prime Minister Modi says, ‘If Manipur Congress were in power, consider what he may say’

The chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing up the upcoming elections in Rajasthan when discussing the violence in Manipur but for skipping the riot-torn state. The chief minister emphasised that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controls Manipur and questioned how the PM would have responded if the state had been ruled by the Congress.

‘It is the BJP government in Manipur. You can imagine what would have happened if there would have been a Congress government in the violence-hit state,’ Gehlot said.

‘PM Modi’s first comment on the Manipur violence came amid his visits to poll-bound states and foreign countries, which raised concerns among the people of Rajasthan,’ the senior Congress leader expressed.

Manipur women were paraded naked before being raped, which shocked the world. In his initial statement, Prime Minister Modi branded it a ‘shameful incident for any society’ and encouraged all chief ministers to improve law and order in their respective states.

The prime minister highlighted that regardless of whether it occurs in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, or Manipur, the subject of a woman’s honour should transcend politics.

Ashok Gehlot responded to PM Modi’s remark by claiming that the BJP was spreading misinformation because it was nervous about how the Congress government was handling the situation in Rajasthan.

‘The prime minister will come to poll-bound Rajasthan on July 27. He will again indulge in marketing. No one can do marketing the way Modi does,’ he said.

Ashok Gehlot further emphasised that Manipur CM N Biren Singh had acknowledged the state’s a number of incidents.

‘An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 FIRs have been registered in Manipur. There have been sporadic incidents in Rajasthan but that cannot be compared to Manipur,’ he said.

Since the beginning of ethnic violence on May 3 during a “Tribal Solidarity March” protesting against the Meitei community’s quest for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation, more than 150 people have died and numerous others have been injured.

The tribal population of Manipur, which includes the Naga and Kuki people, makes about 40% of the total population and is primarily concentrated in the hill regions, whereas Meiteis make up around 53% of the population and reside primarily in the Imphal Valley.