Why is PM still silent on Manipur, asks Cong

Members of Kuki community hold protest outside Shah’s residence

NEW DELHI, 7 Jun: The Congress on Wednesday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “still silent” on the violence in Manipur and why he doesn’t visit the state and make an appeal for reconciliation.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked why the prime minister does not encourage an all-party delegation to visit Manipur.
“There appears to be no letting up in the enormous disaster that has engulfed Manipur for the past seven weeks. The Home Minister visited belatedly after a month and the nation must be thankful for small mercies,” Ramesh said on Twitter. “But why is the Prime Minister still silent? Why doesn’t he visit the state and make an appeal for reconciliation between communities? Why can’t he at least encourage an all-Party delegation to go to Manipur?” he also asked.
People from Manipur’s Kuki community held a protest outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence here on Wednesday against the ongoing violence in the northeastern state, police said.
The protesters were holding placards with messages such as ‘Save Kuki Lives’ and raising slogans, they said.
Police said four of the protesters were allowed to enter the home minister’s residence for a meeting and the rest were shifted to Jantar Mantar.
At least 98 people have lost their lives and 310 more were injured in ethnic violence in Manipur that broke out a month ago. A total of 37,450 people are currently sheltered in 272 relief camps in the state.
Clashes first broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. (PTI)