Feb. 4, 2025: Reacting sharply to Congress Lok Sabha MP Bimol Akoijam’s remark in Parliament that “in valley areas, there are armed groups reportedly nurtured by the political leadership of the BJP,” BJP spokesperson M. Suresh warned that if AFSPA is re-imposed in Manipur, the MP should be held responsible.
In Parliament, MP Bimol Akoijam also stated that the authority of the Indian government has been challenged by armed groups and alleged that the BJP government has entered into an understanding with Kuki armed groups to secure electoral support, which is now causing havoc.
The MP further questioned whether Article 365 has been invoked in Manipur; if so, he demanded a written document, stating that there is no official record of it. He termed the situation an “extra-constitutional subversion of the Constitution” and claimed that Manipur has become a “banana republic.”
Terming it an “unfortunate remark,” the BJP spokesperson stated that the state has been under Article 355, with the central government assuming control over law and order while the state government handles only administrative functions. The state government’s efforts, he added, are aligned with central measures under Article 355.
The BJP spokesperson also alleged that the MP’s remarks undermined the image of village volunteers who guarded villages against armed attacks by Kuki militants. He further criticized the MP for failing to highlight the merciless killing of six innocent women and children in Jiribam in November last year.
