NEW DELHI, Dec 18: Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, has stated that the ongoing crisis in Manipur is not a recent development caused by the current government, but a longstanding issue that has persisted for the past 25 to 40 years. Scindia emphasized that the central government is actively engaged in addressing the situation and is in dialogue with all involved stakeholders.

“The central government is seized of the matter…please also remember that Manipur is not a situation that has occurred in the last one year, the last five years, or the last ten years. Manipur is a situation which has been there for the last 25 to 40 years. So it’s not something that has been created by this government. We are talking to all factions and we are trying to bring about an amicable solution. The central government along with the state government is committed to finding a solution,” said Scindia.

His remarks came in response to accusations from opposition parties that the ruling BJP government had failed to address the issue adequately. Opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress’ Sushmita Dev, criticized the BJP for not raising the Manipur issue during a recent debate on the Constitution, particularly as rights in the state have been suspended. Dev called for the resignation of all BJP MPs from the Northeast, claiming that fundamental rights, including liberty and freedom of speech, have been curtailed in Manipur.

Dev also accused the BJP of creating a divide between citizens with different rights, a situation she argued went against the vision of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The opposition has also repeatedly called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state to address the ongoing crisis.