RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.1: Anger over the Manipur violence was reflected near Raj Bhawan today, as 26 small and large political parties staged a dharna and expressed solidarity with the victims of the violence.
The dharna began at 11 a.m. and lasted until 3 p.m., during which leaders from various political parties expressed their displeasure with the BJP’s double engine government in Manipur and spewed venom at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The INDI Alliance protesters claimed that while Manipur is burning, Prime Minister Modi is on foreign tours, taking no steps to solve the problem, and remaining silent on the issue at a time when videos depicting violence against women are going viral on social media and the Supreme Court is taking suo moto cognizance of the matter.
Among the prominent parties visible at the dharna were the Indian National Congress, JMM, RJD, CPI, CPM, CPI(ML), AAP, and others.
Former Mayor and Congress party leader Rama Khalkho said the prime minister’s statement reflected his dirty politics, and the incident of violence against women in Manipur is a dark chapter in democratic India.
Daughters are not safe under BJP rule, said AAP spokesperson Yasmin Lal, and dared Modi to go to Manipur and seek apology from the state’s daughters after face-to-face interaction.
Sushanto Mukherjee, a Marxist Coordination Committee member, demanded the immediate dismissal of the Manipur government and the imposition of the President rule for the safety and security of tribal residents.
Bandhu Tirkey, Rajesh Thakur, Radha Krishna Kishore, Arup Chatterjee, Mamta Devi, Janardan Prasad, Bhuvneshwar Kewat, Prakash Viplav, Rajesh Yadav, Mandan Yadav, and others were among the prominent leaders seen during the dharna. They also spoke at the event.
