Manipur Member of Parliament Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on January 6 blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what he termed an “internal divide” in the state, alleging that the prevailing security arrangement under President’s Rule was facilitating an artificial and dangerous fragmentation of Manipur.

Raising serious constitutional and democratic concerns, the MP questioned how an elected representative could be denied access to an Indian village, calling it a grave constitutional anomaly.
Akoijam made the remarks during his visit to Saiton village in Bishnupur district, an area recently affected by IED explosions that injured two civilians. The blasts reportedly occurred near an abandoned Meitei residence close to the inter-district border, heightening concerns over civilian safety in conflict-affected regions.
According to the MP, he was stopped by Central security forces at a checkpoint and prevented from entering the village, with officials citing the existence of a “buffer zone”. Akoijam described the restriction as illegal, unprecedented and unconstitutional, asserting that it effectively created an internal boundary within Indian territory.

Standing at the checkpoint, he remarked that the buffer zone symbolised a new internal border. “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,” he said, warning that such measures were institutionalising division within the state.

The MP further noted that elected representatives have not faced similar restrictions in other riot- or conflict-affected regions of the country. Describing the situation in Manipur as exceptional and deeply troubling, Akoijam cautioned that the continued enforcement of buffer zones would erode public trust, undermine federal principles, and deepen divisions instead of restoring peace and normalcy.