Demanding the Prime Minister to immediately replace Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the Congress on Saturday said peace in violence-hit Manipur is impossible under his leadership.
Former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh handed over a charter of eight-point demands to the Congress at an all-party meeting organized by Home Minister Amit Shah at Parliament House. He regretted that at the end of the meeting he was not given much time to express his views.
Congress’s Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “has not spoken a single word on Manipur in the last 50 days” and he should have chaired the meeting.
“It would have been better if this all-party meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister and held in Imphal. It would have sent a clear message to the people of Manipur that their pain and distress is also a matter of national anguish,” he said. He demanded that all rebel groups be disarmed immediately without any compromise.
“The state government has miserably failed to provide effective governance when it was most needed. The chief minister himself has twice publicly acknowledged his failure to handle the situation and deal with the crisis. He has also apologized to the people The Chief Minister should do so.” It was replaced immediately,” Singh said.
When asked whether the Home Minister has provided any plan for the peace of Manipur, he said no.
“The Congress and some other parties have also demanded that an all-party delegation be sent to Manipur and we are hopeful that the Prime Minister will hold a similar meeting after his return from abroad,” he said.
Most parties raised the idea of an all-party delegation visiting Manipur, but sources said the government did not say yes.
Later, Singh and Jairam Ramesh addressed a press conference and said that the unity and territorial integrity of Manipur should not be compromised at any cost.
Ramesh said that the grievances of every community should be heard and redressed sympathetically. He also said that the government should take steps to ensure the availability of essential commodities by keeping both the national highways open and safe for 24 hours.
“A package of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement and livelihood for the affected people should be prepared without delay. The announced relief package is grossly inadequate,” he told reporters.
Ramesh later tweeted, “The all-party meeting organized by the Home Minister today was just a sham and a formality.”
“As the principal opposition party, our representative, Manipur’s senior most leader, 3 time elected CM Okram Ibobi Singh was not allowed to speak to represent the pain and suffering of the people of Manipur,” he said.
“It is an insult not only to the former CM and the Congress party, but also to the people of Manipur that their representative was not allowed to speak in full,” Ramesh said. Singh was the only leader from Manipur at the all-party meeting today.
“Our demand is the immediate removal of the CM of Manipur, without which there can be no progress towards peace and normalcy in Manipur,” Singh said, sharing eight points presented at the meeting.
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