Imphal, June 29: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited people displaced by the ethnic violence in Manipur’s Churachandpur after reaching there in a helicopter.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi’s convoy of vehicles was stopped by the state police mid-way fearing violence.
Gandhi went to the relief camps and interacted with the inmates. This was the first visit of Rahul Gandhi to Manipur after the ethnic violence, which started in the state on May 3.
The Congress leader had to stop at Bishnupur, around 30 km from Imphal, after police halted his convoy fearing attack on it.
Some of the women staged protest after Rahul Gandhi was stopped to visit the Churachandpur by road. “Why Rahul Gandhi was stopped to visit us. He has come here to know our problems not to do politics. Why he was stopped,” asked a woman protester.
However, Bishnupur SP Heisnam Balram Singh said Rahul Gandhi was stopped from moving forward and he was advised to travel to Churachandpur via helicopter.
Bishnupur SP further said, “There was a possibility of a grenade attack along the highway through which VIP Rahul Gandhi was moving. Keeping his security and safety in mind, we’ve not allowed him.”
On the other hand, BJP on Thursday termed Rahul Gandhi’s visit as “irresponsible behaviour”, and said a person is reported to have lost his life in the strife-torn state.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, BJP national spokesperson and Manipur in-charge, Sambit Patra, said the local administration had asked Gandhi to visit Churanchandpur in a chopper in view of the prevailing tension in the state, but he refused and went on to visit the area by road.
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