Rahul Gandhi to take helicopter to Manipur event venue after police stops convoy
2 min read 29 Jun 2023, 02:17 PM ISTRahul Gandhi's convoy was stopped by police near Bishnupur enroute to Churachandpur.
PremiumCongress leader Rahul Gandhi's convoy was stopped enroute to Manipur's Churachandpur on Tuesday afternoon. The former MP had landed in Imphal for a two day visit earlier today. Gandhi eventually returned to the capital city after a multi-hour wait and is now slated to take a chopper to the program venue.
"Rahul Gandhi's convoy has been stopped by police near Bishnupur. Police say that they are not in a position to allow us. People are standing on both sides of the road to wave to Rahul Gandhi. We are not able to understand why have they stopped us" Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal told ANI.
Police officials said that the convoy had been stopped fearing violence along the route. Tires had reportedly been burnt on the highway near Utlou village in Bishnupur and a few stones were also thrown at the convoy.
"We fear repetition of such events and hence as a precaution, requested the convoy to halt at Bishnupur," a police officer told PTI.
The BJP meanwhile contended that Gandhi had been asked to take a chopper but had "stubbornly" decided to travel by the road route.
Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that Gandhi was going to “meet the people suffering in relief camps and to provide a healing touch in the strife-torn state".
“PM Modi has not bothered to break his silence on Manipur. He has left the state to fend for itself. Now, his double engine disastrous governments are using autocratic methods to stall a compassionate outreach by Shri Rahul Gandhi. This is totally unacceptable and shatters all Constitutional and Democratic norms. Manipur needs peace, NOT confrontation," he added in a tweet.
Congress state president Keisham Meghachandra alleged that the order to stop Gandhi's convoy came from Chief Minister N Biren Singh as "everyone was welcoming him".
The BJP meanwhile contends that Gandhi had been asked to take a chopper but "stubbornly" decided to travel by the road route. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said that Rahul Gandhi is "no messiah of peace just a political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling."
(With inputs from agencies)
