RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday gave a clean chit to the government and blamed “outside forces” for the violence in Manipur, even as he sought to tell the voters to choose from the “available best” in the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

It’s nearing six months since the outbreak of unprecedented mayhem in Manipur but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to find time to visit the state. It took him two months and the surfacing of shocking videos of two women being paraded naked to break his silence on the spiral of unrestrained arson, violence and killings. This was on the opening of the monsoon session of Parliament.

During the session, the government was forced by the Opposition to speak on Manipur but post this the government has again chosen silence on the happenings in the northeastern state which now lies bitterly divided between the Meitei community and Kuki-Zo tribals who mostly inhabit the hill regions.

Bhagwat was addressing RSS cadres during the annual Vijay Dashami event at their headquarters in Nagpur. The event is obliquely sought to be projected as an address to the nation by the Sangh, the ideological parent of the ruling BJP.

“Manipuri Meiteis and Manipuri Kukis have been living together for many years. How did this sudden discord take place?” Bhagwat asked before pointing fingers at “outside” or foreign forces and seeking to accuse them of orchestrating violence in the border state.

“It (Manipur) is a border state. Who benefits from such internal discord and secessionism in that region? Outside forces also benefit. Were people from outside involved in what happened there (Manipur)?” Bhagwat said without taking the name of any country.

The RSS chief lauded the central government, terming it “mazboot sarkar” (strong government), stressing how home minister Amit Shah camped in Manipur for three days, followed by other ministers. However, the fact that the violence continued despite that showed it was being “orchestrated”, he said.

“When restoration of peace was in sight, some incident occurs and once again widens the gap between the communities. Who is instigating the violence? It is not happening but it is being made to happen,” Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat added: “Which foreign powers may be interested in taking advantage of unrest and instability in Manipur? Does the geopolitics of southeast Asia also have a role in these events?” he went on to ask without taking any names. He said the RSS cadres worked for peace in violence-hit Manipur.”

Bhagwat’s comments on Manipur and pinning the blame on foreign forces have come in the backdrop of the Narendra Modi government seeking to virtually ignore the happenings in Manipur since violence broke out in the state on May 3.

Bhagwat, who is regarded as the head of the Sangh parivar (that includes the BJP), also spoke on the upcoming Assembly elections followed by the Lok Sabha polls next year. He warned against attempts to garner votes by inflaming emotions and urged people to vote keeping in mind the “unity, integrity, identity and development of the country”.

“Elections are coming and there will be attempts to incite emotions and sway the voters. Don’t get provoked,” he said and then went on to urge the voters to choose from the “available best”.

In doing so, Bhagwat skipped any reference to various Hindutva elements who regularly hurl provocative comments targeting a minority community in a bid to incite violence.

“People will choose from the available best. People have experienced all types (of parties and their governments) by now and they should make the best choice,” Bhagwat said, stressing that it was a “national duty” to vote.

The RSS cadres on the ground are known to canvas support for the BJP but the RSS chief refrained from naming any party.

Bhagwat lauded the Modi government for hosting the G20 Summit and for the successful moon mission.

The RSS chief warned against divisive or anti-India forces “outside and inside the country” whom he described as “cultural Marxists”.

“Some people inside and outside the country don’t want India to move ahead. They try to build conflicts, destroy our unity and sow seeds of disharmony,” he said.

“These elements now have a new name: cultural Marxists or woke, meaning awakened... They are opposed to all kinds of orderliness, culture, dignity and restraint in the world,” Bhagwat said.

He sought to accuse these “cultural Marxists” of using a modus operandi of taking over the control of the media and the academia in their pursuit of spreading chaos and dividing society.

The RSS chief emphasised “devotion to the motherland” and said even people who follow faiths that originated outside the country should uphold it, without naming any religion.

“Three elements, devotion to the motherland, pride in forefathers, and common culture, make us one nation by tying together all diversities of language, region, religion, sect, caste and sub-caste,” Bhagwat said.

He referred to the installation of Lord Ram’s idol in the Ram temple at Ayodhya on January 22 and urged the people to organise programmes at local temples across the country on that day.