NEW DELHI: As most Opposition parties spoke in one voice – a day after a gathering of opposition party leaders at Patna — at the all-party meeting called by home minister Amit Shah here on Saturday, a host of parties including ruling BJP’s informal ally, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP demanded an all-party delegation be sent to Manipur to assess the situation on the ground and reach out to people with a ‘healing touch.’
If Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, made the first demand with a written statement, “to send an all-party delegation to violence-hit Manipur within a week,” DMK, RJD, SP, BRS, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPM, AAP, Congress and even YSRCP members were among others, who joined the chorus with the same demand, while other demands like chief minister’s resignation from SP and RJD or imposing President’s Rule from SP, were also added to it.
Opposition unity was evident when TMC representative RS MP Derek O’ Brien came to the rescue of Congress representative and former Manipur CM, Okram Ibobi Singh at the meeting. When asked to wrap up his speech much before Singh had finished, O Brien told the chair that, the three-time MP should be allowed to speak for a longer time that he was seeking as he knew most (among those present) about the situation and the state, with his years of experience as a three-term chief minister, it is learnt. Singh was allowed three extra minutes after that.
AAP representative, RS MP Sanjay Singh, is learnt to have lashed out at the government saying, it failed to protect the women of the state and even its own ministers.
TMC said, it wondered whether the government was “trying to turn Manipur into Kashmir.” Accusing the Centre of “ignoring” the needs of the people of Manipur, the party said, “When Manipur burns, Assam is affected, Meghalaya is affected, the entire North-East is affected. The whole nation is affected. Is the Union government trying to turn Manipur into Kashmir.”
The statement said, that as many as 250 churches and 17 temples have been burned, damaged, and destroyed by mobs on a rampage. “Just trite photo opportunities between the Prime Minister, the home minister, and church leaders are not the solution. The Union government has to decide whether it wants to create divisions to suit the interests of a political party, or whether it wants to create lasting unity and peace… The government must first acknowledge its failures and course correct. Immediately. Manipur, the rest of the North-East, and all of India are craving for peace.”
If Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, made the first demand with a written statement, “to send an all-party delegation to violence-hit Manipur within a week,” DMK, RJD, SP, BRS, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPM, AAP, Congress and even YSRCP members were among others, who joined the chorus with the same demand, while other demands like chief minister’s resignation from SP and RJD or imposing President’s Rule from SP, were also added to it.
Opposition unity was evident when TMC representative RS MP Derek O’ Brien came to the rescue of Congress representative and former Manipur CM, Okram Ibobi Singh at the meeting. When asked to wrap up his speech much before Singh had finished, O Brien told the chair that, the three-time MP should be allowed to speak for a longer time that he was seeking as he knew most (among those present) about the situation and the state, with his years of experience as a three-term chief minister, it is learnt. Singh was allowed three extra minutes after that.
AAP representative, RS MP Sanjay Singh, is learnt to have lashed out at the government saying, it failed to protect the women of the state and even its own ministers.
TMC said, it wondered whether the government was “trying to turn Manipur into Kashmir.” Accusing the Centre of “ignoring” the needs of the people of Manipur, the party said, “When Manipur burns, Assam is affected, Meghalaya is affected, the entire North-East is affected. The whole nation is affected. Is the Union government trying to turn Manipur into Kashmir.”
The statement said, that as many as 250 churches and 17 temples have been burned, damaged, and destroyed by mobs on a rampage. “Just trite photo opportunities between the Prime Minister, the home minister, and church leaders are not the solution. The Union government has to decide whether it wants to create divisions to suit the interests of a political party, or whether it wants to create lasting unity and peace… The government must first acknowledge its failures and course correct. Immediately. Manipur, the rest of the North-East, and all of India are craving for peace.”
