GUWAHATI: The Congress in Manipur on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, describing the recent meeting of the party’s legislators in New Delhi as “crash courses on how to justify administrative failures back home.”
As many as 34 BJP MLAs attended the meeting with the party’s central leadership on Sunday, where discussions were held on “peace and progress” in the ethnic violence-hit state.
Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh took to X to criticise the exercise, sharing photographs from the meeting and writing, “Instead of restoring law and order in Manipur, the BJP has reduced its MLAs to students, attending crash courses in Delhi on how to justify administrative failures back home.”
Responding to the criticism, BJP national general secretary B L Santhosh said the meeting was a “very fruitful exercise” focused on restoring peace and accelerating development in the state.
“Everyone resolved to strive hard to bring back normalcy in the state and get the developmental work going at full steam,” he said.
Among those who attended the meeting were former Chief Minister N Biren Singh and several leaders who had served as ministers before Manipur was placed under President’s rule on February 13. The BJP’s four of the seven Kuki-Zo MLAs were also present.
The meeting has fuelled speculation in Manipur about the possible formation of a new government, even as the state remains under President’s rule with the Assembly in suspended animation. President’s rule was imposed days after Biren Singh stepped down as Chief Minister.
Manipur has been gripped by ethnic violence since May 3, 2023, with the unrest claiming over 260 lives and displacing an estimated 60,000 people.