Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, assured the restoration of peace in Manipur at an all-party meeting held on Saturday. Opposition parties, however, questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter. The meeting was called to address the situation in the violence-torn state, which became violent after clashes broke out during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union. Shah stated that Modi has been monitoring the situation from day one and guiding them with sensitivity to find a solution to this problem.
Congress, on the other hand, claimed that its representative, former Chief Minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, was not allowed to present his points at the meeting, calling it an eye-wash and a formality. Congress has been vocal about the situation in Manipur since the violence broke out in the BJP-ruled state. In response, Shah stated that the situation in Manipur is now stable as no life has been lost since June 13. He further added that the fencing work of 10 km of the Myanmar-Manipur border has been completed, while the tendering work for 80 km of border fencing has been completed and the survey of the remaining border is underway.
The meeting was attended by BJP president JP Nadda, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, and CPI(M) MP John Brittas, among other leaders. Shah asked for the cooperation of all political parties to defuse the situation and restore peace in Manipur. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also appealed for peace and harmony in the state, stating that the violence had left a deep wound in the conscience of the nation. The AIADMK, TMC, NPP, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Asom Gana Parishad, DMK, BJD, AAP, RJD, and Shiv Sena were also represented at the meeting.
