A new political storm erupted on Friday between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, triggered by a letter from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. In his letter, Kharge called for President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention in the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, accusing both the central and state governments of "complete failure" in resolving the crisis. The Congress chief alleged that the government's inaction had led to a situation of lawlessness, human rights violations, and serious compromises on national security. Kharge expressed his concerns over the escalating violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which has plagued the region since May 2023.
Kharge also pointed out that Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, had visited Manipur multiple times over the past 18 months, showing their concern for the ongoing unrest. He indicated that, despite such visits, the government’s response remained inadequate, and the people of the state continued to suffer without any visible progress toward peace or resolution.
In a sharp counterattack, BJP National President JP Nadda responded to Kharge’s letter, accusing Congress of spreading "incorrect, false, and politically motivated narratives" about the violence in Manipur. Nadda strongly refuted the claim of government inaction, asserting that the BJP-led central government had been working tirelessly to restore peace and security in the state. He also took the opportunity to criticize the Congress for its past failures in managing similar ethnic tensions, specifically pointing to the tenure of the Congress-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur. According to Nadda, the consequences of these past policies were still being felt today, with militant groups from neighboring countries being allowed to operate freely within Indian borders.
Nadda did not hold back in his criticism of Congress's handling of national security. He reminded Kharge that the Congress government, under the leadership of Home Minister P. Chidambaram, had legitimized the illegal migration of foreign militants into India. This, he argued, had emboldened militant organizations that are now attempting to destabilize the situation in Manipur. Nadda further claimed that these militant groups, supported by Congress’s misguided policies, were continuing their violent activities in the region, threatening the stability and peace that had been hard-earned over the years.
Nadda stressed that the BJP, unlike the Congress, would not allow such destabilizing forces to undo the progress made in restoring peace in Manipur. He emphasized the government's commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the people of the state from further violence.
The verbal altercation escalated further when Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to social media to criticize Nadda’s remarks. Ramesh accused the BJP leader of indulging in a "4D exercise" – denial, distortion, distraction, and defamation. He argued that Nadda’s letter was filled with falsehoods and misrepresentations of the situation in Manipur. Ramesh also pointed out the deep discontent among the people of Manipur, who, he claimed, were desperate for normalcy, peace, and harmony. He listed four crucial questions that he claimed were on the minds of the people in Manipur: When would Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit the state to address the crisis? How much longer would Chief Minister N. Biren Singh remain in power despite losing support from a majority of lawmakers? When would the state be assigned a full-time Governor to oversee the recovery process? And, most importantly, when would Union Home Minister Amit Shah take responsibility for the central government’s failures in managing the crisis?
The verbal sparring between the BJP and Congress comes at a particularly tense moment, as Manipur is grappling with another wave of violence. On November 7, a woman from the Hmar community in Jiribam district was brutally killed and set ablaze at her home, triggering a fresh round of unrest. In the days that followed, from November 7 to November 18, at least 20 people lost their lives, and 16 separate incidents of violence were reported across the state.
In light of the growing violence, the central government has taken swift action, deploying additional security forces to Manipur to restore peace and order. The government has sent over 5,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), with 50 companies of forces being stationed across the region to quell the violence and stabilize the situation. However, despite these efforts, the ongoing unrest continues to put immense pressure on the state’s political leadership and the national government, who are facing growing calls for accountability and a more decisive response to the crisis.
This escalating tension between the BJP and Congress, coupled with the continued violence in Manipur, underscores the deepening political and social rifts within the state, as well as the broader implications of the ethnic conflict for India's political landscape. The situation remains fluid, with the people of Manipur and the nation watching closely to see how both the state and central governments will respond to the ongoing crisis.
