Even though Home Minister Amit Shah assured that all steps were taken by the government to restore peace in Manipur, the political parties said healing touch be provided in the state.
However, the opposition parties during the all-party meeting called by Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss Manipur violence, expressed concern over the failure of Biren Singh government in tackling the violence in the state.
Many parties including Congress demanded that it would have been better if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the meeting as the violence has been on for over 50 days.
During the meeting chaired by Amit Shah, the Home Ministry made a detailed presentation on the Manipur situation detailing the legacy issues and steps taken to curb the violence.
"During the meeting, the Home Ministry explained what triggered the violence (in Manipur) and what steps have been taken so far. All parties raised their concerns by keeping political differences aside,” BJP leader Sambit Patra said. He said the meeting was held in a positive atmosphere; Home Minister heard everyone patiently and said that the views expressed by all will be taken into consideration and discussed. Patra said all parties agreed that it was unprecedented that a Home Minister spent three days in a violence-hit state.
Former Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh representing Congress in the meeting said PM Narendra Modi has not spoken about the violence in Manipur. "Manipur may be a small state but it shares a strategic border with Myanmar. "
The Congress said the chief minister failed to provide adequate leadership. The party demanded that armed groups be disarmed, grievances of all sides be heard and adequate relief be provided to those affected.
Trinamool said more than 50 days have elapsed since violence erupted in Manipur and BJP's failure to restore peace has left citizens trapped in a nightmare. "The violence unfolding is a clear sign of their incompetence and inability to protect the people," the party said in a tweet.
RJD MP Manoj Jha said, "The entire opposition went to the extent of saying that the person who is heading the administration there has lost the trust. You can't have peace until that person is in charge."
The CPI rued that it was not called for the meeting. "Exclusion of CPI from the all-party meeting on Manipur exposes the callous attitude of the Home Minister towards the burning problems of the state. The CPI is a recognised party in Manipur and is contributing significantly to peacebuilding and harmony in the state," CPI leader D. Raja said.
Among the parties that attended the meeting included BJP, TMC, Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena, BJD, AIADMK and AAP. Around 120 people have lost their lives since the violence started on May 3.
