A day after the northeastern state’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologized for the ethnic conflict in Manipur, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said an apology is not enough if he admits that he failed to handle the situation. If so, he should have resigned from his post.
The former Rajasthan chief minister also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for “ignoring” Manipur.
Gehlot told reporters here on Wednesday, “The Chief Minister has apologized to the people. Forgiveness is not enough. What happened in Manipur has never happened in any other state of the country in history. The central government did nothing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not go there.
He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked people to play thali (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and people listened to him. Therefore, if he had gone there, people of both the communities would have listened to him. He completely ignored a state.
Gehlot’s comments came a day after Singh apologized for the ethnic conflict in Manipur. More than 250 people have lost their lives in this violence and thousands have become homeless since May 2023.
N Biren Singh apologized
“I want to express regret for whatever happened in the state,” Singh had told reporters in Imphal. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I express regret and apologize. But after seeing relative peace in the last three-four months, I am hopeful that the situation will return to normal in the coming year.
He said, “Whatever happened happened… I want to appeal to all communities to forgive and forget past mistakes. Let us start life afresh by living together in a peaceful and prosperous Manipur.
Gehlot said, “The Chief Minister is now apologizing after 18 months of bloodshed. I don’t know what message he wants to convey. If he had failed to handle the situation, he should have resigned.
Holding the Center and the Manipur government responsible for the unrest, the Congress leader said, “Couldn’t the Center have changed the Chief Minister? Although it would not have been a big deal, the violence would have stopped.
He said, “Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah have committed a huge crime. They ignored Manipur as if it was not a part of India. The Prime Minister should have gone there.
Taking aim at the Rajasthan government, Gehlot said that nine districts were abolished in the state, but no one is discussing it.
He said, “In such cases, people’s convenience should be kept in mind, not the expense. Jaipur Metro was started, but when our government changed, it was said that money was wasted in it. Jaipur did not need metro, it is a loss deal. That’s why I said that the metros running all over the world are a loss-making deal, but they have to be run to provide convenience to the public.
The Rajasthan government recently abolished nine districts formed by the previous Congress government, saying they were neither “practical” nor in “public interest”. Three new divisions were also abolished in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday.
