Amit Shah rules out dividing Manipur, says BJP committed to peace
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 15 2024: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has categorically stated that the Modi Government is committed to establishing peace in Manipur through talks with both sections and without dividing Manipur.

The announcement of the Union Home Minister gains significance in the face of the Separate Administration call raised by the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs and backed by civil society organisations like the ITLF, CoTU, KIM etc.

After his last visit to the State on May 29, 2023 at the height of the ongoing crisis, Amit Shah landed at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, Imphal from Tripura at 2.30 pm today.

Amit Shah was received by Chief Minister N Biren and many BJP leaders at the airport.

Amit Shah rules out dividing Manipur, says BJP committed to peace

From the airport, Amit Shah headed straight to Hapta Kangjeibung where he addressed a huge election rally.

During his short speech which lasted for just around 17 minutes, the Union Home Minister reiterated the Modi Government's commitment not to compromise the territorial integrity of Manipur under any circumstances but he did not speak a single word on National Register of Citizens (NRC), the popular demand for inclusion of Meitei in the Constitution's ST list and the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki militants.

This election is not between the Congress and the BJP but between the forces that want to break Manipur and unite Manipur.

Wherever the Congress party goes they talk about division.

They were the ones that divided the Nation, Amit Shah said.

"Lately, they are peddling the narrative of dividing the Nation into North India and South India.

They took the agenda of dividing Manipur.

But I want to clarify here that no one can dare to divide Manipur.

We will not let anyone break Manipur", Amit Shah stated.

"I want to tell the people of hills and valley in Manipur that in the times to come peace will be established in Manipur while keeping the integrity of Manipur intact and talking to every section.

The Manipur Chief Minister raised the demand for an Inner Line Permit in Manipur and Modi Ji fulfilled it and strengthened it", he said.

Appealing to the people to elect BJP's Th Basantakumar to the Parliament, Amit Shah assured that they would make Basantakumar a key figure in the next Modi Government.

Prime Minister Modi has accomplished the long overdue task of building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Modi also brought peace to the North East which was torn by decades long separatist and armed movements.

"Modi Ji says that the fate of the Nation will change when the fates of Manipur and the North East change.

The Nation will develop when Manipur develops.

Modi Ji has got more than 10 peace accords signed to end terrorism.

More than 9,000 insurgents have surrendered arms.

We have also reduced the area of AFSPA.

We have used the NESAC to develop the North East.

Modi Ji has come to the North East 70 times and the Union Ministers have made 700 tours of the North East", Amit Shah said.

He said that Jawaharlal Nehru had bid farewell to Assam and Congress never honoured Manipur.

They kept Manipur under the siege of blockade for thousands of days.

Manipur was shut down for three years and hundreds of youths were killed in fake encounters.

All of these were done by the Ibobi Singh Government, he said.

In the Naga-Kuki violence, 750 were killed, 100 were killed in the Meitei-Pangal violence and 325 were killed in Kuki-Paite violence.

Congress made Manipur a State of Nakabandi.

"I want to tell you that in this small State, there is a conspiracy going on to change the demography through infiltration.

However, the Modi Government has decided to secure Manipur by constructing borders along Myanmar.

We have also ended the Free Movement Regime that was used to traffic narcotics", the Union Home Minister said.

Taking a jibe at the rival Congress party, he said the Congress has always given importance to the Tukde Tukde gang.

The Professor who is contesting on their behalf is also a member of the same gang.

They will not let Manipur stay united, he said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was asking why Prime Minister Modi was travelling to small States.

It appears that Kharge does not know that these small States are Bharat's soul.

Without the development of the small States, the Nation cannot develop, he said.

"I want to ask Ibobi Singh.

There was a Congress Government in Manipur for 15 years.

What did it give to Manipur except loot, extortion, blockade and shutdown?", Amit Shah asked.

In ten years, the Congress gave only Rs 39,000 crore.

But Modi Ji increased it to Rs 1.20 lakh crore.

Along with that, Rs 1300 crore was given for the 43 Kms long Imphal-Moreh line, Rs 2000 crore for the National Highways, and Rs 10,000 crore for railway line.

As a result, for the first time, goods train reached Manipur, he said.

For the Imphal Airport, Rs 132 crore has been spent, Imphal Cancer Hospital, Churachandpur Medical College and many development works have been done, he continued.

"Modi ji has announced that 3 crore homes will be built.

I want to give a Modi guarantee to the people of Manipur that in the next five years, no poor will be left without a house.

This house will have a toilet, gas and electricity.

Along with that piped gas and water will be supplied and most importantly we will not let anyone divide Manipur no matter how hard anyone tries", the Union Home Minister assured.

He also recalled that it is Moirang in Manipur where Netaji Subhas Chandra Basu hoisted the Tricolour and proclaimed Bharat's independence.

After addressing the rally, Amit Shah went to Nityaipat Chuthek and inaugurated an office of BJP Manipur Pradesh before leaving Imphal.