A day after several houses were set on fire in Manipur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre, saying the violence was the result of the Modi government's "divisive ideology."
The latest violence in Manipur has reignited allegations between Kuki and Naga organisations, with both sides accusing each other of orchestrating coordinated attacks.
According to a report, armed groups unleashed violence along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur's Kamjong district on Wednesday, signalling a resurgence of conflict between the Kuki and Naga communities after a period of relative calm.
Miscreants torched Phaimol, a Kuki-Zo settlement near the India-Myanmar border around 12.30 pm. The villagers were not present at the time of the attack since they had sought shelter in a nearby village for over a week. The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki community in the state, strongly condemned the arson and claimed the attacks were carried out by outfits operating from across the border in Myanmar.
In a suspected retaliatory attack, armed miscreants targeted Kongkan Thana and adjoining areas inhabited by the Tangkhul Naga community.
Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing said at least 12 houses belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community in Kongkan Thana were set on fire.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said Manipur has been burning for years, and again, 20 homes have been reduced to ashes in the fire of hatred and violence.
"Even with two governments and President's rule, the conflict is only deepening. Thousands have lost their lives, countless families have been shattered-the unbearable agony Manipur is enduring is hard even to imagine," Rahul Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
"This is the result of the Modi government's divisive ideology, which divides people in the name of religion, caste, language, region, and identity. Today, not just Manipur but the entire country has given up hope of even two words of empathy from the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), let alone any action," the former Congress chief said.
Manipur deserves better and for that, uniting India is the only way forward, Rahul Gandhi asserted.
(With inputs from PTI)