BJP leaders should visit Manipur instead of holding poll campaigns, says Mamata
Kolkata: Terming the volatile situation in Manipur a ‘man-made’ problem, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opined on Monday that the BJP leaders should have visited the North-East state rather than emphasising on political campaigning in the current context with people getting killed in the violence-hit state.
She said at least 68 people from Bengal are still stranded at various places in Imphal. “As many as 25 people, including 18 students, have already reached the state from Manipur,” Banerjee informed.
She also requested the Manipur government to make arrangements for the safe passage of people from other states, including Bengal, particularly those stranded in remote areas to the airport so that they can be brought back safely to their home state.
“Relieved to inform that after receiving distress calls at the Nabanna control room, 18 Students of West Bengal studying at the College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal have been specially evacuated by us at the government of Bengal’s cost. They have been flown in to Kolkata by a specially arranged flight which landed at 10:15 am today (May 8). The students are pursuing BSc/MSc/PhD. Our officers received them at Kolkata airport’s special desk and arranged for their onward journey from Kolkata to their residences. Efforts are on to evacuate our others stranded in Manipur. All-out solidarity to anyone of us in distress anywhere,” Banerjee wrote on Twitter.
Speaking to the media, she said: “The state is also making transit arrangements for those travelling to other states through Kolkata airport. Currently, 140 persons from Andhra Pradesh, 30 from Rajasthan and 26 from Telangana are in Bengal. We have arranged free lodging and food for them till they manage to travel to their respective states by train or aeroplane,” she added. Banerjee announced two helpline numbers — 033-22143526 and 033-22535185 for anyone seeking assistance regarding evacuation from Manipur on Saturday.
Lashing out at the BJP government in the Centre for not doing enough to help people in violence-hit Manipur, she said: “What is the priority? I can certainly say elections will come and go. Political parties, particularly the one which is presently ruling the country’s government, have so many leaders and chief ministers, so it is very easy to go for election campaigns. But they should visit Manipur first. I am amazed that they could not find time for a few hours and visit Manipur where bloodshed is continuing unabated.”
Replying to a poser regarding Union Home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bengal on Tuesday, on the occasion of Rabindra Jayanti, without taking any name Banerjee said: “They send central teams if anything happens here (in Bengal) but since Manipur is a BJP-ruled state, nothing is being done. If there is violence, I will not prefer any important personalities to visit there. But in Bengal, even when we impose Section 144 for restoration of peace, the very next day, they insist on going to such restricted places.”
Banerjee demanded that the Manipur government must release figures of the deceased. “Manipur is burning. We don’t know how many people have died due to the shoot-at-sight orders given by the Manipur government. I won’t bring politics here, but people want to know the figures. They are not giving a clear figure on the death toll,” she claimed.
Banerjee reiterated that earlier there had been problems in Nagaland and also with the Assam Rifles and the entire situation of the north-eastern states had turned volatile. “They should realise that chairs will come and go but democracy is permanent and it will go on forever. Pacify Manipur and the North-East and desist from fomenting casteism and communal violence,” Banerjee said in a word of advice to the BJP. Banerjee also appealed to the voters of Karnataka to vote for “stability and development” and not to vote for BJP claiming that “they are dangerous”.
