NEW DELHI: Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said Manipur was in the throes of a grave humanitarian crisis and demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement in Parliament on the issue.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi slammed the BJP for raising the George Soros issue in Parliament, contending that the ruling party was doing so to "hide its failures in Manipur".
"The entire state is in a humanitarian crisis and instead of finding a solution, the government is sending paramilitary forces and enforcing the AFSPA. This is not addressing the cycle of violence," the Congress leader said.
He said the people of Manipur only want to know when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state and when will the home minister apprise the House of the steps required to resolve the situation in the state.
"This government, in order to hide its failure in Manipur, is using George Soros as a shield," Gogoi said, triggering a sharp reaction from the treasury benches.
The Congress leader said extortion has become rampant in Manipur, the economy has been shattered and basic public services were on the brink of collapse.
"Unfortunately, there has been a rise in the illegal trade of arms, drugs, and timber. The impact on the lives of ordinary people has been devastating," he said.
Gogoi said schools and colleges were closed and the education of thousands of students was at risk.
"Healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Fear and uncertainty have gripped the population," the Congress leader said.
Gogoi's reference to Soros prompted Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to counter by claiming links between the Congress leadership and certain Soros-backed outfits allegedly working to destabilise India.