Sanjay Raut slams BJP for calling opposition bloc INDIA members' visit to Manipur as 'show-off'

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday hit out at the BJP for calling the visit of members of the opposition bloc INDIA to Manipur as a "show-off", and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has neither visited the strife-torn state nor spoken about it in Parliament.

A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA reached Imphal on Saturday to assess the situation in Manipur and visit several relief camps to meet victims of the ethnic clashes that broke in the northeastern state on May 3.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday alleged the opposition INDIA bloc members' visit to Manipur was a "mere show-off".

The north-eastern state has been witnessing ethnic clashes since early May between the majority Meitei community, concentrated in the Imphal valley, and the Kukis, occupying the hills. More than 160 people have been killed in the violence so far.

Talking to reporters here, Raut claimed more than 200 people have been killed, while homes of ministers and legislators have been burnt and some women paraded naked in Manipur.

''Prime Minister ji...Manipur is part of India and its citizens are Indian citizens...listen to them. That is why the INDIA alliance delegation visited the state. How can understanding the grief of citizens and consoling them be called a show-off?" he asked.

The prime minister has not gone to Manipur and has not spoken about the issue yet in Parliament, the Rajya Sabha member said.

''The opposition alliance leaders spoke to the affected citizens and understood their grievances, if this is called a show-off, then we haven't seen a cruel government and politics than this,'' Raut alleged.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant was part of the INDIA delegation to Manipur.

Raut said morchas were taken out on Saturday by tribals in Imphal in protest against the government.

Some reporters also asked Raut about members of the Shiv Sena-led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde criticising Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray's family and other leaders of his faction for not attending the funeral of Sena leader Anand Dighe, who died in 2001.

CM Shinde considers Dighe as his mentor.

Raut said, "Don't link Dighe saheb's name to traitors. The late leader was a loyal Shiv Sainik. It is an insult to Dighe to link him to the traitors. If you see videos of that period, it will be clear who attended the funeral."