PM Modi speaks on Manipur crisis: 'Country is with you, peace will be restored soon'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the country was with the people of Manipur and that peace will return soon in the northeastern state, which has seen intermittent clashes since May 3. He said Home Minister Amit Shah gave a detailed explanation on what happened in Manipur. He said the matter is in court, and that the near future will see peace in the northeastern state. "Manipur will move forward with new confidence," he said.

Prime Minister Modi said both the state and central governments are doing everything possible to ensure that the accused get the strictest punishment. "I want to assure the people that peace will be restored in Manipur in the coming time. I want to tell the people of Manipur including women and daughters of Manipur that the country is with you," he said while speaking on the no-confidence motion by the Opposition. 

In an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, PM Modi said what has been said about 'Maa Bharti' in the House has deeply hurt the sentiments of every Indian. "These are the people who sometimes talk about killing democracy, sometimes they talk about killing the Constitution."

The Prime Minister slammed the Congress for its actions in Mizoram. He said on 5 March 1966, Congress had its Air Force attack the helpless citizens in Mizoram. "Congress should answer if it was the Air Force of any other country. Were the people of Mizoram not the citizens of my country? Was their security not the responsibility of the Government of India?"

PM Modi said still today, Mizoram mourns the dreadful day. He also said that the Congress never tried to console the people. "The Congress hid the incident from the people of the country. Smt Indira Gandhi was then the PM of the country." 

PM Modi said there was a time in Manipur when everything used to happen according to the wishes of insurgent organisations. He said this happened under the Congress government. "Whose government was there in Manipur when Mahatma Gandhi's picture was not allowed in government offices, whose government was there in Manipur when the decision to not allow the national anthem in schools was taken? Their (opposition) pain is selective. They cannot think beyond politics."