Anurag Thakur accuses Congress of fuelling violence in Manipur

Hamirpur/Bilaspur (HP): Union Minister Anurag Thakur has alleged that the Congress wanted to trigger violence in Manipur by sending its leaders there while asserting that some parties were not comfortable with peace in the country.

Interacting with reporters in Hamirpur on Sunday, he said on one hand, the Congress party was claiming that Manipur was plagued by violence and on the other its leaders were visiting the northeastern state "without any purpose".

"No untoward incident has been reported from Manipur in the past 10 days. But the Congress wants to trigger violence by sending its leaders there, which is unacceptable," he said, adding that some leaders and parties are not comfortable with peace in the country and the Congress is one of them.

Thakur, who is on a four-day tour of his Hamirpur constituency to supervise the relief and rescue operations, said the Congress government has not spared the common man even in the face of a major calamity as it went on to raise the Value Added Tax on diesel.

The Union information and broadcasting minister, who also visited Bilaspur district, said people of the Hamirpur constituency (consisting of Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur) told him that the calamity led to 11 deaths and loss of property was pegged at Rs 359 crore.

Addressing a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, Thakur said, "The Central government is doing its best to help people across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very liberal towards the hill state. He has directed all ministries to extend adequate help to the states where monsoon rains have wreaked havoc." 

He added that no laxity will be given if MP Local Area Development Funds will not be used for the dedicated purpose.