Rahul quizzes top officials if Manipur not part of India
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 09 2024: Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reportedly asked chief secretary Dr Vineet Joshi and security advisor Kuldiep Singh if they do not consider Manipur as part of India, and urged them to take up necessary steps to resolve the crisis at the earliest.

The Congress leader raised the posers to the top bureaucrats of the government of Manipur during a joint meeting with Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan on Monday, according to Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president K Meghachandra.

Addressing the media at Congress Bhawan, here, on Tuesday, Meghachandra, on behalf of the state party unit, hailed Rahul Gandhi for visiting the state, interacting with displaced people in relief camps and encouraging them to remain strong.

He also thanked AICC general secretary Venugopal and AICC Manipur in-charge Girish Chodankar, who accompanied Rahul during the visit.

Meghachandra also recounted an interaction with displaced students in Jiribam wherein the students expressed their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers or officers.

But what hurt most was the dejected expression on the face of the young students, who said that they could no longer visualise realisation of their dreams, he said.

While in the relief camp in Bishnupur, the displaced people aired concerns regarding their uncertain future in the face of the crisis and the meagre income they could earn from making candles and incense sticks.

They said that they could not afford education of their children with such meagre earning, to which Rahul Gandhi encouraged them to be strong besides meeting family members of the recent suspected suicide victim at Kwakta pre-fabricated shelter home, who reportedly committed suicide as he could not afford the cost of medical treatment for his family members, Meghachandra recounted.

The state Congress chief also stated that after returning from Bishnupur, Rahul Gandhi called on Governor Anusuiya Uikey where he discussed the situation and explored possible ways to resolve the crisis in the presence of chief secretary Dr Vineet Joshi, security advisor Kuldiep Singh and other senior officers of the state government.

During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi asked the top officials if they do not consider Manipur as a part of the country, and urged them to take up necessary steps to resolve the crisis at the earliest, Meghachandra reiterated.

Clarifying on the restriction to media during Rahul Gandhi's visit in relief camp, he reasoned that the restriction was part of the security details issued by the Central government for the Leader of Opposition.

As for the press conference at Congress Bhawan, Rahul Gandhi gave a simple statement and did not take questions fielded by the media as he wanted to keep his visit purely on humanitarian ground for the displaced people and exercised caution to ensure his response to media persons do not cross some lines and take political shape, Meghachandra elaborated and appealed to the media not to take the matter seriously.

During Rahul Gandhi's visit, several organisations submitted memorandums, which could help in the Congress leader get a clearer picture on the ground situation in the state as well as the party in bringing up the Manipur issue in the Parliament, Meghachandra said while thanking CSOs for their efforts.

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