"Manipur is Devbhoomi.... House of God," says BJP in Rajya Sabha :::: Opposition slams Modi Govt

"Manipur is Devbhoomi; we should tell the world about its rich culture and positive contributions," said BJP MP Ajit Madhavrao.

Hitting back at the Opposition, the lawmaker asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "has Manipur in his heart". 

He highlighted the increase in Manipur's annual budget from Rs 2,122 crore before 2014 to Rs 10,440 crore for 2025-26. President's Rule was imposed in Manipur in February days after BJP chief minister N Biren Singh resigned. 

The Upper House of Parliament on Monday, March 17th, discussed the issue of ethnic violence in Manipur.

The Opposition MPs including from Congress and the Trinamool Congress charged the government with neglecting the issue and poor handling of the crisis. 

Shankersinh Gohil, Congress MP from Gujarat, said -  "The message should go out that our hearts are with people in every corner of the country. 

The pain of Manipur is not just the state's pain; it is the pain of the entire nation".

"When will the people of Manipur feel that the nation stands with them? If the parliaments of England and Europe can discuss this issue, why can't we?" he questioned.

He criticised the allocation of Rs 2,866 crore from Manipur's budget for incentives to police in sensitive areas, arguing that these funds should come from the central government. He also noted that only Rs 100 crore had been allocated for relief efforts despite the scale of displacement. 

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev pointed out that Manipur faced an Internet shutdown for 212 days.  

BJP MP Madhavrao also listed several development initiatives, including the establishment of an IIT in Imphal in 2020, the redevelopment of Imphal's railway station, and the approval of 50 National Highway projects. 

He also said that under the PM Ujjwala Yojana, 2.5 lakh women in Manipur have received benefits, and 2.8 lakh toilets have been constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission. 

The Supreme Court on Monday extended, till July 31, the tenure of the court-appointed committee formed against the backdrop of gender violence during the sectarian strife in Manipur.  

The committee comprising three woman judges – J&K High Court's former Chief Justice Gita Mittal, Bombay High Court's retired judge Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, and Delhi High Court's former judge Asha Menon – was tasked with collecting information related to violence against women in Manipur as well as monitoring the conditions at relief camps and deciding on compensation to victims.

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