Manipur Violence: Amit Shah Calls All-Party Meet in New Delhi on June 24

Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the volatile situation in Manipur, which was rocked by ethnic clashes over a month ago. The meeting will take place at 3pm, informed the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Shah visited the state for four days last month and met a cross-section of people in his efforts to bring back peace to the state.

The opposition has been targeting the Centre over the situation in the north-eastern state where more than 100 people have died in the violence that ensued between Meitei and Kuki communities over a month ago.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday slammed the Modi government for not using power and resources at its disposal to control the ongoing violence in the state. Speaking at a function organised to mark the NCP’s 24th foundation day, the former defence minister said the BJP-ruled Manipur is a border state and its international boundary could be misused by neighbouring countries.

The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, questioned PM Modi’s visit to the United States amid the ethnic strife in Manipur. The TMC said, “More than 100 lives lost, 50,000 people displaced, and Modi ji is off to his first state visit to the US. Miss the good old days when leaders actually addressed crises instead of evading responsibility!”

The BJP, however, rebutted the charge pointing out that the central and Manipur governments are concerned about the situation in the northeastern state and efforts are on to bring peace.

Meanwhile, Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi issued an appeal for peace in Manipur and said the unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people of the state has left a deep wound on the nation’s conscience.

In a video message shared by the Congress on social media, she expressed her condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones and said she was sad that people were forced to flee the only place they called home and leave behind all that they had built over their lifetime.

Clashes first broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals – Nagas and Kukis – constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

(With PTI inputs)