Imphal : Manipur Member of Parliament Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on January 6 launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing the Centre of enabling an “artificial and dangerous internal division” of the state through the security architecture currently in place under President’s Rule.

Akoijam said the enforcement of so-called buffer zones in conflict-affected areas has effectively created internal borders within Manipur, raising serious constitutional and democratic concerns. Questioning how an elected Member of Parliament could be denied access to an Indian village, he described the situation as an unprecedented anomaly in the country’s democratic framework.

The MP made the remarks during a visit to Saiton village in Bishnupur district, which was recently hit by improvised explosive device (IED) blasts that injured two civilians. The explosions reportedly occurred near an abandoned Meitei residence close to the inter-district boundary, heightening fears over civilian safety in volatile areas.

According to Akoijam, he was stopped by Central security forces at a checkpoint inside the village and prevented from proceeding further due to the presence of a buffer zone that he termed “illegal”. Standing at the barricade, the MP said the restriction symbolised a new internal boundary being enforced within the state.

“This is where the border of India begins-India with Kuki. I cannot go to this side because this has become an India-Kuki border,” Akoijam said, arguing that the security arrangement had effectively fragmented Indian territory along ethnic lines.

He warned that such measures were not only unconstitutional but also deeply corrosive to national unity. Drawing comparisons with other riot-affected regions across the country, Akoijam said there was no precedent for parliamentarians being barred from entering parts of their own constituencies elsewhere in India.

“The Manipur situation is exceptional, alarming and deeply troubling,” he said, adding that the continued enforcement of buffer zones would erode public trust, undermine federal principles and entrench divisions rather than facilitate reconciliation and peace.

Akoijam squarely held the Union government responsible, asserting that the present security regime under President’s Rule was failing to restore normalcy and instead institutionalising separation within the state. He cautioned that unless urgently reviewed, such policies could have long-term consequences for Manipur’s social fabric and India’s constitutional ethos.

Promotional | North East Integration Rally