Delegation of CMs may visit Manipur soon: Mamata
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday urged the non-BJP chief ministers to form a common platform and visit Manipur to show solidarity with the people who had been subjected to atrocities.
Continuing her tirade against the Centre over the Manipur crisis, the TMC chairperson said the BJP’s ‘Beti Bachao’ scheme has now turned into ‘Beti Jalao’ (burn our daughters).
Banerjee, addressing a massive gathering on Martyrs’ Day, wondered why the Centre never bothered to send Central teams to Manipur where ethnic strife has claimed over 160 lives.
“On behalf of Bengal and the newly formed coalition, INDIA, I want to extend our solidarity to the people of Manipur. We want to assure every Manipuri that we are standing with them, and we will stand with them at all times. The atrocities which we are witnessing in Manipur are condemnable in the strictest terms. The Prime Minister often talks about the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” initiative. It has turned into ‘Beti Jalao’,” Banerjee said.
She added: “Soon, a delegation of chief ministers may visit Manipur; we are working out the modalities with our alliance partners. I have spoken to Arvind Kejriwal in this regard. I hope all the CMs will agree to go to Manipur. So many women were killed. More than 1,000 people have been butchered. The Manipur incident is a blot on humanity where women were paraded naked.”
She further stated: “Our daughters in Manipur are dying, and this is not an isolated failure of the BJP government. Even in the Bilkis Bano case, rapists were let off by this government. Similarly, even after our wrestlers’ protests, bail was granted to the main accused, who is a BJP MP. The honour of our womenfolk is being tarnished. However, make no mistake, our daughters and mothers will reply to the BJP in the upcoming elections.”
Hitting out at PM Modi, Banerjee said: “The Prime Minister is busy doing whataboutery, and instead of condemning the Manipur violence, he is wrongly equating it with other states. Is the Prime Minister heartless? How long will he allow harassment of women, Dalits, minorities and STs?”
Slamming the Modi government for sending Central teams, Banerjee said: “These ‘merchants of terror’ are busy sending Central teams to Bengal, but why aren’t such teams being sent to Manipur? Around 154 Central teams have been sent in Bengal. BJP leaders in Bengal openly claim that they would impose Presidents’ Rule in Bengal, why isn’t the same happening in Manipur?”
Banerjee also cautioned the students’ and youth wing leaders of Trinamool Congress saying that the BJP may attempt to circulate fake videos. “The BJP has been hatching a conspiracy against Bengal. There has been an attempt to create a rift between communities,” Banerjee said.
