The Trinamul Congress has decided to build public opinion against the BJP by highlighting the Manipur crisis as part of its campaign in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A source said that besides raising the Manipur issue in both Houses of Parliament, the party has also planned to tell tribals in Bengal how their Kuki brethren were being targeted in the northeastern state.

The atrocities against the Kukis — especially women — will be the theme of the outreach programmes in which Trinamul leaders will talk about the rape and murder of tribal residents in the BJP-ruled state.

“All the senior leaders, including Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, spoke about Manipur atthe Martyrs’ Day rally. Now the message will trickle down to the grassroots as leaders will go around the statehighlighting the atrocities committed against the tribal community and women in BJP-ruled Manipur,” said a senior Trinamul leader in Calcutta.

On Friday, during the Martyr’s Day rally, chief minister Mamata not only spent about one-third of her speech on Manipur but also paid homage to the victims of the violence by standing in silence for a minute with lakhs of people in Esplanade in the heart of Calcutta.

“At the very outset, on behalf of Bengal and INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, the recently formed national Opposition alliance of 26 parties), I want to say we are with you (Manipur). I want to express my solidarity with the people of Manipur. We want to assure each and every Manipuri that we are standing by them and we will stand with them at all times,” the Trinamul Congress chairperson had said, adding that she also wished to visit Manipur with other members of the INDIA alliance soon.

A source said the prime focus of Trinamul’s Bengal campaign on this issue will be in tribal-dominated districts like Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, South Dinajpur, Darjeeling, and parts of Malda in north Bengal, as well as Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, and West Midnapore in south Bengal, where the BJP has built a significant support base in recent years.

“The incident of disrobing women and mass killings in Manipur has been widely condemned by people across the country. Tribal peoplein Bengal should know how dangerous it is to vote the BJP in 2024,” said a Trinamul leader.

Trinamul had sent a five-member fact-finding team to Manipur, which has submitted its report.

“We have submitted a detailed report to our party. We will fight in Parliament against the violence in Manipur,” said Dola Sen, a Trinamul Rajya Sabha member and a member of the fact-finding team.

Trinamul leader and Bengal minister for women and child development Shashi Panja on Saturday at anews conference attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over Manipur.

“The PM made a three-line statement on Manipur (on Thursday) that lasted for a mere 36 seconds. Even during his brief statement, he tried equating the horrendous act of Manipur with (incidents in) other states.... The Parliament session is underway and the leaders of INDIA from both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha are seeking a discussion on the Manipur violence,” Panja said.