Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lashed out at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the violence in Manipur on Sunday, saying all secular-minded citizens should stand up against the Sangh Parivar’s plans to turn the unrest-plagued Northeast state into a “land of riots.”
A press statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) quoted Vijayan as saying, “The country’s secular community should recognize the Sangh Parivar agenda, which is spreading hatred and turning Manipur into a land of riots for the sake of power politics.” The CM stated further that it was only prudent to view the ethnic clashes in Manipur, which have been ongoing for more than two months, ‘with dread’ as the “human conscience is still plagued by horrible events”.
“The ethnic riots that have been going on for more than two months can only be looked at with apprehension. Horrible scenes continue to haunt the human conscience. The women of the Kuki community were hunted down by mob rioters in a most despicable and brutal manner. The video released is from days right after the start of the riots,” the Kerala CM was quoted as saying further in the official statement.
The CM further asserted that by fanning a communal fire, the historically divided populations of Manipur’s hills and valley are being further torn apart. “Fueling the fire communally feeds the historical divisions between Manipur’s residents of the hills and the valley. It is obvious that riots are just a cover for a planned Christian witch hunt. Tribal churches that practice Christianity are routinely attacked and destroyed, the Kerala CM continued in his statement.