The Congress, along with ten like-minded parties from Manipur, on Saturday, June 17, questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the violence in the northeastern state, adding that they waiting for an appointment to discuss the issue in-depth with him. Addressing a press conference in Delhi at the party headquarters, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Ten Opposition parties from Manipur are waiting for the appointment from the Prime Minister. Congress, JD(U), CPI, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, AAP, All India Forward Bloc, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Revolutionary Socialist Party have sought an appointment with the Prime Minister. They are awaiting a reply. We are hopeful that before leaving for the US on June 20, he will meet the opposition parties."
All these leaders are waiting in the national capital and will stay put till June 20 to meet the Prime Minister, he said. Taking a swipe at the BJP-led Union government, Ramesh, who is the party's communications in-charge, said, "Manipur was burning 22 years ago on June 18, 2001. The Assembly Speaker's bungalow, CM Secretariat was burnt and the blockade remained for three-and-a-half months. At that time the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the demand of all parties, convened an all-party meeting twice and he appealed for peace. Whereas today leaders from 10 parties are waiting to meet PM Modi, but he is silent.”
He said that on June 24, 2001, an all-party delegation from Manipur met the then Prime Minister Vajpayee just six days after the incident in the state. "Before going abroad, the then Home Minister LK Advani met the all-party delegation on July 8 and the Prime Minister (Vajpayee) once again appealed to maintain the calm and help the administration to help in restoring normalcy in the state," he said.
Ramesh said that today leaders of 10 political parties are waiting here to get a chance to meet the Prime Minister but he is silent and is yet to make an appeal. "It is clear that there is no faith in the state government and we can only hope to get help from the central government as the state government has failed entirely. Even after Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Manipur, there is no difference in the situation," he stated.
"We demand that the Prime Minister see the appeal of Vajpayee and also meet with the delegation. Instead of Mann ki Baat, he must do Manipur ki Baat," Ramesh added.
Former Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh said that since May 3, Manipur has been burning, and to this day, it continues to burn. "There is a hue and cry everywhere, with 20,000 people, including women and children, taking shelter in camps. However, the Prime Minister has not yet expressed anything regarding Manipur. Is Manipur a part of India or not? If it is, why hasn't the Prime Minister of India spoken about it? We, the 10 like-minded political parties, have prepared a memorandum advocating for peace… We are not here for political advantage but we simply seek peace. Please help us," Singh said.
The devastating ethnic violence, which so far has killed over 120 people and injured more than 400, began in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised by a tribal student body in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand.