Manipur Chief Minister N BirenSingh will not be
replaced, says Shah
Nirendra Dev / New Delhi
After days of one-upmanship between treasury benches and Opposition, there was a semblance of unity in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the House made an appeal to both Meitei and Kuki communities to shun the path of violence and engage in dialogue.
Home Minister Amit Shah, under consistent attack for the last three months made a spirited and elaborate reply on various questions raised on Manipur violence during the debate on No Confidence motion.
At the end of his intervention lasting more than an hour, Shah urged the Speaker Om Birla
if the House agreed there should be an appeal to both the communities to engage in talks
and also to talk to the centre to end the unprecedented impasse over repeated incidents
of ethnic clashes.
Leader of the House and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also endorsed Shah’s suggestion
and urged the chair to go ahead with the appeal. “For the cause of peace, we expect
there is cooperation on this from all sections of the House,” Rajnath Singh, also a former
Home Minister said.
Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury must have been taken by surprise at such suggestions said, “We want to make such an appeal in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi….We were always in favour of the debate in the presence of the Prime Minister”.
Rajnath Singh said, “To reply to the debate on the No Confidence Motion, the Prime Minister will be present in the House”.
The Speaker then took the sense of the House and members endorsed it saying yes and raising their hands.
During the debate, Home Minister Shah said, “With folded hands I appeal to both Meitei and Kuki communities to engage in dialogue. Violence is not a solution to any problem, I assure you that we will bring peace in the state”.
An articulate leader that he is, Shah made optimum use of the occasion and referred to subjects and controversial issues like tension in Kashmir and past violence in Manipur to corner the Congress.
At one point, he accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi playing politics with the the violence and during a challenging situation.
“After landing in Imphal in Manipur, Rahul Gandhi did not cooperate and declined to go to Churachandpur on helicopter on the first day….But he did go by copter the next day after making statements in media,” Amit Shah said.
Shah made it clear that at least for the time being, Manipur Chief Minister N BirenSingh will not be
replaced. “This Chief Minister is cooperating with the centre,” he said adding a Chief Minister has to be changed during such challenging situations if the Chief Minister does not cooperate.
“The centre changed Chief Secretary, DGP and also appointed an advisor,” he said suggesting there
was no political non cooperation on these issues and other decisions of the centre
about deployment of forces in Manipur.
“Our approach never is …because there were troubles in the past during Congress regime, we are okay with it,” Shah said.
“In last six years since we are in power in Manipur there have been no curfew or blockade”, he said
and maintained that changed circumstances in Myanmar was also responsible for the present
imbroglio.
He said during Congress regime 750 people were killed in 1990s and 200 injured in Manipur
and during that period only Minister of State for Home Late Rajesh Pilot had issued a statement in Parliament.
“But the opposition today has been attacking us saying Prime Minister should respond”.
“I agree that there have been incidents of violence in Manipur. No one can support such incidents.
Doing politics on these incidents is shameful,” he added.