It will help if Assam CM did not poke his nose into Manipur: Chidambaram slams Sarma
New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday took a swipe at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his remarks that the situation in Manipur will improve within 7 to 10 days, saying it would help if the BJP leader does not "poke his nose" into Manipur's conflict and stayed away.
The former home minister also asserted that it would help if Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned as the CM and President's Rule was imposed in the northeastern state for a few months.
Sarma on Saturday said the situation in neighbouring Manipur will improve within 7-10 days, with the state and central governments working "silently" to restore peace.
He had hit out at the Congress and alleged that the opposition party is showing its concern when "relative peace has come in the northeastern state".
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur since clashes first started on May 3.
In a tweet, Chidambaram said, "CM, Assam has promised that peace will return to Manipur in a week. It will help if CM, Assam did not poke his nose into Manipur's conflict and stayed away."
"It will also help if Mr Biren Singh resigned as CM and President's Rule was imposed for a few months," Chidambaram said.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Dibrugarh on Saturday, Sarma, the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said, "The situation in Manipur is improving day by day. I am of the view that in the next one week to 10 days, there will be more improvement."
Sarma claimed there has been "a lot of improvement" in Manipur in the last month.
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Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
