Both State government and Centre responsible for the violence in Manipur: Congress

Congress leaders asks how a High Court judge could be unaware of, or ignore, a Supreme Court verdict on making changes to the list of Scheduled Tribes

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh addresses a press conference, at AICC HQ, in New Delhi. File | Photo Credit: ANI

Citing Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud’s comment on the Manipur High Court not having any power to make changes to the list of scheduled tribes (ST), the Congress on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the State cannot escape responsibility for the violence and deaths in the State.

“In light of what the CJI has said it’s astonishing what a single judge of Manipur High Court did—triggering such a human tragedy!. But the ideological brotherhood, its henchman in Manipur, and his masters at the Centre cannot escape their responsibility,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

On Monday, the CJI had said that it was the President and not the court who had the power to designate a community as Scheduled Tribe and asked why a Constitution Bench verdict of 2000 noting that courts do not have power to “add or subtract” the ST list was not “shown” to the Manipur High Court.

Addressing a press conference, senior advocate in the Supreme Court and Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the violence escalated after a single-judge Bench of the Manipur High Court directed the State government to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST list expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks.

“Why was the 23-year-old Constitution Bench judgment which clearly held that no court or state has power to add, subtract or modify with the Scheduled Tribes List ignored by the State and Central governments? Why was it not brought to the attention of Manipur HC?” Mr. Singhvi said.

“A cursory look at the violence is sufficient to reflect that the State and Central government are equally responsible for fuelling violence in Manipur,” he added.

More than 50 people have been killed in violent clashes between tribals living in the Manipur hills and the majority Meitei community residing in the Imphal Valley over the latter’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. More than 23,000 people have been rescued and sheltered in military stations and relief camps following the large-scale violence in the State.