All-Party Meeting Chaired by Amit Shah on Manipur Situation Gets Underway

NEW DELHI: Leaders belonging to as many as 22 political parties have come together and are taking part in the all-party meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the current situation in violence-hit Manipur.

The meeting began in New Delhi at around 3 pm on Saturday

The political parties which are in attendance at the meeting with the Union Home Minister are comprised of representatives of the BJP, Congress, TMC, Left parties, RJD, DNK, AIADMK, Mizo National Front, Naga People’s Front and others.

The violence in the trouble- torn state, which broke out after a tribal solidarity rally on May 3, has been continuing despite the presence of central forces and left nearly 120 dead and over 3,000 injured. Thousands more have been displaced and currently taking shelter in the adjoining NE states.

Among those who are attending the meet include BJP president J P Nadda, former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh (Congress), Derek O’Brien (TMC), Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma (NPP), M Thambi Durai (AIADMK), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Pinaki Misra (BJD), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Manoj Jha (RJD) and Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena).

Also in attendance are Union ministers Pralhad Joshi, Nityanand Rai and Ajay Kumar Mishra, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka.

Derek O'Brien of TMC has demanded that, by next week, an all-party delegation should be sent to Manipur. He said that the message from the Union Government till now has been one of ignoring the problem and that it needs to be changed to one of healing, caring, and restoration of peace and harmony.

In the meantime, Binoy Viswam of CPI said in a tweet: "Home Minister should explain why the CPI was not invited to the All party meeting on Manipur. Our National Executive Committee Member P Sandosh Kumar MP was assigned by the party for the meeting.Home ministry can learn from people of Manipur about role of CPI in building peace."

Shah had visited the violence-hit state of Manipur for four days last month and met people from cross sections of society, which included civil society groups and representatives of political parties of the state in his efforts for restoration of peace in the northeastern state.

Opposition parties have been leveling criticism at the government for its handling of the volatile situation as there has been no cessation to the violence even after 50 days.

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