Union Home Minister Amit Shah told an election gathering in Imphal on Monday that establishing peace in Manipur was the priority of the Narendra Modi government.

Shah claimed that there was a conspiracy to change the demography of the state by promoting infiltration.

The home minister, however, skipped any mention of why Modi has not visited Manipur even once since the ethnic clashes broke out in the state in May 2023, killing 221 people with the latest violence reported on April 13 in which two Kukis died.

Shah accused the Congress of engaging in the politics of dividing the country.

“There have been ethnic clashes in Manipur. I want to address (people in) both the hills and the valley. Aane waale dino mein (in the days to come), it will be the priority of the Narendra Modi government to establish peace in the state by holding talks with all sides while keeping the state united,” Shah said, addressing a rally in Imphal in the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency.

He said that in the last six years, the state had been peaceful.

Not naming any political outfit in particular, Shah said there was a conspiracy at play to change the demography of the state by promoting infiltration.

“Today, I have come to tell you an important thing. I know there is a conspiracy going on to change the demography of this small state through infiltration,” Shah said, adding that the Modi government would deal with the crime with an iron hand by ending the free movement regime with Myanmar.

Slamming the Congress, Shah said: “This election was not a clash between the BJP and the Congress. This election is between those who talk about breaking Manipur and those who want to keep Manipur together.”

“Wherever the Congress goes it talks about division. They partitioned the country and are now talking about dividing the north and south of the country,” he said, adding that the Modi government is committed to keep the state united.

Defending chief minister N. Biren Singh, who has been facing demands to step down, Shah said: “You may not know this. But it was Biren Singh who had made a strong demand before the central government that without the inner line permit Manipur cannot remain intact. By allowing the inner line permit, our government has strengthened Manipur.”