Congress accuses Centre of mishandling Manipur over past five years

The Congress has accused the BJP-led central government of handling Manipur “irresponsibly” over the past five years, claiming its approach has severely affected the state’s security and economy.

The allegation was made on Sunday by Christopher Tilak, the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Manipur, who arrived in the northeastern state to take part in the party’s ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ campaign.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Tilak said the prolonged instability in Manipur reflected serious governance failures. “What has happened in Manipur is very unfortunate. For the last five years, the Centre has handled the state irresponsibly. The economy is in deep trouble, and even security, including border security, has become a major concern,” he said.

Manipur has witnessed prolonged ethnic violence since May 2023, with clashes between the valley-based Meitei community and the Kuki tribes from the hills. The unrest has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced thousands of people.

The state, which shares a long and sensitive border with Myanmar, has been under President’s Rule since February 2025, following the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh. Singh, a BJP leader, first assumed office in 2017 and was re-elected after the 2022 assembly elections.

Tilak alleged that the imposition of President’s Rule had failed to restore normalcy, claiming that underground groups had enforced a bandh during his previous visit to the state. “This shows that the Centre is not serious about resolving Manipur’s crisis,” he said.

During his week-long stay, Tilak said he would travel across both hill and valley regions as part of the Congress’s campaign to oppose changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The Congress earlier announced a nationwide ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ from 10 January to 25 February, demanding the withdrawal of the VB G-RAM-G Act, restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based law, protection of the right to work, and the preservation of panchayats’ authority.

Tilak said the party opposed the renaming of the scheme and what it described as structural changes that dilute its original intent. “I have come to take this protest to all assembly constituencies in Manipur. I will be travelling extensively in both hill and valley areas during my stay,” he said.

He also recalled that MGNREGA was introduced in 2005 under the UPA government to empower the rural poor, particularly women, and said the Congress would continue to defend the scheme as a cornerstone of social security in rural India.

With PTI inputs