Modi should've led all-party delegation to Manipur: Oppn

July 29, 2023 21:51

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have led an all-party delegation to Manipur, and his party would have been happy to be a part of that.

Addressing a press conference along with other MPs of opposition bloc INDIA after visiting several areas of the violence-hit state, Gogoi said they will return to New Delhi and raise the stories of horror that they have come across during the tour in Parliament.

"It has been a difficult day for all of us. We went to four relief camps and heard people's stories. Women broke down as they narrated how they were attacked," he said.

"Tonight, we will discuss the things that we saw and tomorrow, we will meet the governor. We will submit a memorandum to her on the basis of the things that we observed. We will also take these stories to Delhi with us and those will be told in Parliament," he said.

Gogoi said Parliament should have discussed the Manipur violence by now.

"We will give constructive suggestions to Parliament. Too much delay has happened," he said.

On the BJP's charge that the visit of the opposition parties is for photo-ops, he said, "Who is stopping the BJP from coming to Manipur? Where is NEDA? What is it doing? It is the INDIA bloc parties that are coming to the state regularly."

TMC MP Sushmita Dev said it is very reassuring that the entire opposition is with Manipur.

JMM MP Mahua Maji said Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that peace has returned to Manipur, "but where is peace? The state is still burning".

DMK MP Kanimozhi said that people are feeling let down by the government.

"They feel that government did not intervene and the violence continued. They don't have any trust in CM N Biren Singh," she claimed.

The delegation of 21 MPs of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is on a two-day visit to the state to assess the ground situation.

Violence 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, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. -- PTI

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