Imphal, July 8 (IANS) Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Monday after visiting camps in Manipur, once again urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the violence ravaged state and announced that Congress is ready to do whatever possible to restore peace in the northeastern state.

After visiting relief camps in Jiribam and Churachandpur districts and meeting Governor Anusuiya Uikey, LoP Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister should come to the state for a day or two days and listen to the affected people of Manipur.

“Even if there is no violence, the Prime Minister should come to Manipur to know its problem and issues,” LoP Rahul Gandhi told the media before leaving the state for Lucknow.

He said that the Indian government must reach out to violence-hit people and embrace them to restore peace.

“We are ready to support whatever possible to restore peace in Manipur. The state needs to get out of the suffering. Violence and hatred would not solve the crisis. I am ready to visit Manipur five times, ten times to support the people of Manipur.”

Referring to his discussion with the Governor, LoP Rahul Gandhi said that he is not happy with the situation in Manipur and ‘we expressed our displeasure to the Governor’.

“I told the Governor that I was expecting some improvement in the Manipur situation but I am quite disappointed that it is still no way near what it should be. I do not want to politicise the Manipur issue, this is not our intention at all,” the LoP Rahul Gandhi said and remarked that there was a tremendous tragedy for everybody in Manipur.

He said that he came to Manipur once again to listen to the affected people and to build their confidence.

“As in the opposition party, we try to pressurise the government to normalise the situation. The need of the hour is peace, violence hurts everyone, thousands of people are affected, many are killed, and huge numbers of property are destroyed. I have never seen such a situation anywhere in India,” LoP Rahul Gandhi said.

Noting that the state was completely divided in ethnic lines, the LoP said that he came to Manipur as the brother of the people of the state.

The LoP left for Imphal airport after his brief media briefing in the Congress Bhavan and refused to take any questions from the media.

On Monday, LoP Rahul Gandhi first visited a relief camp in Jiribam, where fresh violence occurred after the killing of 59-year-old Soibam Saratkumar Singh, a farmer, on June 6, and met the inmates of the relief camps.

State Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh, who accompanied LoP Rahul Gandhi, said that the inmates at the Jiribam camp told the LoP about the horrific experiences they went through.

A girl told LoP Rahul Gandhi that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Chief Minister N Biren Singh had come to visit Jiribam and she also urged the LoP to highlight their plight in the Parliament, Meghachandra told the media.

From Jiribam, the LoP came to Imphal via Silchar (Assam) and visited a relief camp in Tuibong village in Churachandpur district.

There also the LoP interacted with inmates.

Hundreds of men and women greeted LoP Rahul Gandhi both in Jiribam and Churachandpur and women wept while talking to him, the state Congress president said.

He said that LoP Rahul Gandhi’s visit firstly provided a moral boost and support to violence-hit people in Manipur and on the other hand to assess the situation on the ground by the LoP himself.

“His visit reflects the Congress’ commitment to deal with the concerns of those affected by the ethnic violence,” Meghachandra said.

Monday’s visit was the third visit of LoP Rahul Gandhi to the northeastern state after the ethnic violence broke out in the state in May last year.

The LoP visited Manipur in June 2023 and also for the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 14.

Ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribal communities since May last year claimed more than 220 lives and injured over a thousand in Manipur besides destroying a large number of government and private properties and religious structures.

–IANS

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Aizawl, July 8 (IANS) Mizoram Home Minister K. Sapdanga has apologised to over 33,000 Myanmar refugees, sheltering in the state since February 2021, for not being able to meet their all needs adequately, citing the state’s limited resources.

Addressing an event here on Sunday night, he said that the people of Mizoram consider the refugees as brothers and sisters of the Mizos.

Sapdanga, who also holds the Disaster Management portfolio, recounted his first visit to the refugee camps along the Mizoram-Myanmar border and his interaction with the refugees.

He expressed his sadness at the troubles of those who had fled their homes along with the children and ailing persons.

“You have taken shelter in Mizoram, what we call ‘Jerusalem of all the Mizos’, as you have no other option. But we are trying to help, though our resources are limited,” he said.

The Minister appealed for cooperation from all sections of people, including the refugees, to deal with the drug menace in Mizoram, particularly among youths. He expressed hope that the ethnic Myanmar nationals would achieve the freedom they are fighting for.

Adviser to the Chief Minister (Political) Lalmuanpuia Punte urged unity among all Chin tribal ethnic groups in their fight to overthrow the military junta and restore democracy in Myanmar, particularly in the Chin state of the neighbouring country.

Over 33,000 Myanmarese took shelter in Mizoram in different phases after the military takeover there in February 2021.

Besides the Myanmar nationals, over 15,000 Bangladeshi tribals, belonging to the Bawm community, took shelter in Mizoram since November 2022. The Bangladeshi refugees from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of southeast Bangladesh fled from their villages and sought refuge in Mizoram after an offensive by the Bangladeshi Army against the insurgent group Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA).

Around 10,000 people including women and children belonging to Kuki-Zomi tribes, have also taken shelter in Mizoram after the ethnic violence broke out in neighbouring Manipur in May last year.

The Kuki-Zomi-Chin tribes in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur share ethnic ties, and cultural and linguistic similarities with the Mizo people. Most refugees stay in rented accommodation and the homes of their relatives or friends, while others live in relief camps across the border state, which shares a 510-km-long unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.

The present Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government and the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) government have sought financial assistance from the Centre for the relief and shelter of the Myanmar, Bangladeshi, and Manipur refugees.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Saturday discussed the Bangladeshi refugee issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and reportedly told him that the state government is reluctant to push back the refugees. An official of Mizoram Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the Chief Minister, during the meeting with the Prime Minister at his residence in New Delhi, apprised him that the Bangladeshi refugees, taking shelter in the state belong to the Bawm community, one of the ethnic Mizo tribes. Many more tribals from CHT of the same community are also trying to enter Mizoram, he told the Prime Minister.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, July 8 (IANS) Karnataka BJP MLA Bharat Shetty on Monday stirred a major controversy, saying the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi should be locked up and slapped inside the Parliament for his alleged anti-Hindu remarks.

“LoP Rahul Gandhi should be locked up and slapped inside Parliament. This act will lead to the filing of seven to eight FIRs. If LoP Rahul Gandhi comes to Mangaluru city, we will arrange the same for him,” MLA Shetty said.

He said that LoP Rahul Gandhi was holding a picture of the Hindu god Shiva. “That madman does not know that if Lord Shiva opened his third eye, he (LoP) would turn into ashes. They have adopted an anti-Hindu policy. It is evident that LoP Rahul Gandhi is a madman. He thinks that Hindus will quietly listen to whatever he says about them. If he ‘barks’ in Parliament, the local leaders will start wagging their tails here,” Shetty said.

He said it is BJP’s duty to protect Hindu religion and institutions. “The Congress has begun to convey that Hindus and Hindutva are different. Hindus will face danger in the future because of such leaders. They will create a situation where Hindus will not step out of their houses,” he said.

He alleged that LoP Rahul Gandhi will turn into a secular person when he visits Kerala and he will become an atheist in Tamil Nadu.

“When he comes to Gujarat, LoP Rahul Gandhi becomes an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva,” he alleged.

He said that after getting only 99 Lok Sabha seats in the general election, LoP Rahul Gandhi is claiming to have made a great achievement.

“Shivaji and Maharana Pratap were born in the Hindu community. We will take out weapons whenever there is a need. We know very well how to retaliate after worshipping the weapons. LoP Rahul Gandhi will be alright after a tight slap inside Parliament,” he said.

–IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 (IANS) The UK is exploring avenues for joint ventures in technological innovation in the Kerala IT ecosystem and thereby strengthening partnership with India in the tech sector, said Joshua Bamford, Head of Tech and Innovation, British High Commission in India, on Monday.

Leading a UK delegation to Technopark here, Bamford said the visit to India’s first IT Park had been “incredibly insightful”.

The delegation interacted with Col Sanjeev Nair (Retd), CEO, Technopark, and discussed potential collaboration opportunities at the Park.

Among other officials who took part in the discussion included Christi Thomas, Senior Technology and Innovation Adviser, British Deputy High Commission, Bengaluru.

Bamford said the discussions they had with the CEO of Technopark and CEO of Toonz Animation underscored the vast potential for collaboration between the UK and Kerala in the technology and innovation sectors.

“We are excited about the possibilities of this partnership and look forward to leveraging our combined strengths to drive forward groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence, future telecoms and other tech domains,” said Bamford.

Col Sanjeev Nair (Retd), CEO, Technopark, said the visit of the UK delegation marks a significant step towards fostering stronger ties and cooperative initiatives between the UK and Indian tech ecosystems.

–IANS

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Shimla, July 8 (IANS) A total of 315 polling stations have been set up for the by-elections to Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh Assembly constituencies, an election official said on Monday.

As many as 217 polling parties have been sent to polling stations.

A spokesperson for the Electoral Department said 98 polling parties were sent for 100 polling stations set up in Dehra in Kangra district, while 119 polling parties were sent to Nalagarh in Solan district.

The spokesperson said two women polling parties each from Dehra and Nalagarh and all 94 polling parties of the Hamirpur seat would be sent on July 9.

Meanwhile, campaigning came to an end, with strict restrictions imposed by ECI, for the July 10 by-poll.

–IANS

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