'PM, CM devoid of qualities of statesmanship': Congress slams BJP govts for Manipur violence

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The Congress on Tuesday dubbed the conditions in Manipur as "hostile and hateful" and slammed the BJP government in the state and the Centre, saying that Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were "badly devoid of qualities of statesmanship".

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "The conditions in Manipur are hostile, hateful, and horrid. We are deeply concerned about the tragedy, which was highly avoidable."

Taking a pot shot at the BJP-led state government, he said that over the past one week, the Manipur state government has reflected their state of lawlessness, statelessness, and shamelessness.

"The Chief Minister and the Prime Minister-led BJP governments are badly devoid of qualities of statecraft, stateliness, and statesmanship," Singhvi, who is a Rajya Sabha MP and a top lawyer, alleged.

He also charged the BJP with having "a dark past" as "its actions and inactions have provoked communities and castes against each other".

Singhvi stressed that a cursory look at the violence was sufficient to reflect that the state and Central government were equally responsible for fuelling violence in Manipur.

Citing the Supreme Court order, he said, "In a recent development, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Monday wondered aloud why a 23-year-old constitution bench judgment which clearly held that no court or state has power to 'add, subtract or modify' with the Scheduled Tribes List was not 'shown' to the Manipur High Court in the first place."

"We submit that what happened at Manipur High Court reflects casualness and callousness of the state government," he said.

He also highlighted that the CJI said a "High Court does not have the power to direct changes in the Scheduled Tribes List" as it is "a Presidential power".

"Let me remind you that the violent clashes and deaths followed in the days after a single judge bench of the Manipur High Court, on March 27, directed that the state government 'shall consider the case of the petitioners for inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order'," he said.

"Why was the 23-year-old Constitution Bench judgment which clearly held that no court or state has power to add, subtract or modify with the ST list ignored by the state and Central governments and brought to the attention of Manipur HC? Why should the state take a decision on something on which it does not have power?

"Why was the Centre inactive? Since it recently brought almost half a dozen bills to list STs of different states during the last Winter and Budget sessions, why did it neglect Manipur?" he asked.

Singhvi also demanded that accountability needs to be ensured and questioned "who is primarily responsible for bringing Manipur to this sad and sorry state".

His remarks came a day after Manipur Chief Minister Singh admitted that at least 60 people, including women, have been killed and 231 people injured while 1,700 houses have been burned down in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3.

On May 3, unprecedented violent clashes, attacks and arson broke out at various places during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.

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