Congress picks holes in CM's Ukhrul visit
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 19 2026: The Congress party has asserted that the Chief Minister's recent visits to Ukhrul, Senapati, and Jiribam were pointless, as the visits have failed to yield any meaningful results.

Addressing the media at Congress Bhavan today, Dr Khumujam Ratankumar, spokesperson of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and former Minister stated that the Congress party condemns yesterday's ambush by Kuki militants along the Imphal-Ukhrul road, which claimed the lives of two Tangkhul Naga civilians, including a retired Indian Army soldier.

He, on behalf of his party, also shared the pain of the bereaved families.

Congress picks holes in CM's Ukhrul visit

Dr Ratankumar stated that the ambush occurred just a day after the Chief Minister visited Ukhrul and assured that necessary action would be taken to ensure the safety of commuters on the Imphal-Ukhrul road.

The Chief Minister's initiative to reach out to the people of the hill districts and advocate for peace is commendable, but the lack of tangible results from these visits make them meaningless, he said.

Stating that the State Government must take strict measures to defuse the tense atmosphere in the State, the Congress leader urged the Government to understand the sentiments of the people and take appropriate action to control the situation.

Dr Ratankumar expressed hope that the Government would develop long-term policies to address and resolve the issue.

Instead of claiming no harm was done during his visits to Ukhrul, Senapati, and Jiribam, the Chief Minister should focus on working out long-term policies to restore normalcy in the State, the Congress leader suggested.

Saying that security forces used excessive force during protests, including destroying CCTV cameras, vandalising parked cars, and assaulting people who did not participate in the protests, he emphasised that the security forces should not engage in such unreasonable actions.

Security forces used brute force in the valley districts, while in the hill districts, armed individuals are openly engaging in acts of terrorism, he contended.

He said that the Government has failed to take action against armed groups in the hill districts involved in terrorism, while people in the valley districts are not even allowed to hold peaceful protests.

Why is the Government still remaining a mere spectator when armed groups in the hill districts continue to target and kill innocent civilians at will?, he asked.

Referring to the Government's announcement to hand over the ambush case of TM Kasom to the NIA and provide ex-gratia to the deceased, he asked if offering ex-gratia and referring every act of terror to the NIA is the solution.

Both the Central and State Governments have failed to enforce law and order in the State since the crisis erupted, he said and added that two innocent people were killed in an ambush along the Imphal-Ukhrul road yesterday, despite the Chief Minister and some BJP MLAs claiming that no harm had come to them while travelling on the highways.

He urged the Government to protect the lives and properties of the people.

Reminding that the Government had announced it would arrest the perpetrators of the Tronglaobi bomb attack, dead or alive, he asked if any of the culprits had been apprehended.

How long will the people tolerate such injustice?, he questioned.

He pointed out that the Central Government has not even condemned the terror attacks in Manipur, while it responds promptly to similar incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.

The people of Manipur are now beginning to ask if Manipur is even considered a part of India, he said and urged the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, and the Chief Minister to take strict action against terrorists in Manipur and ensure the rule of law is upheld.

MPCC vice president Hareshwar Goswami also attended the press briefing among others.