A united Opposition on Saturday unequivocally condemned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Manipur and demanded that an all-party delegation be sent to Imphal, the capital of the north-eastern state that has been hit by ethnic clashes for 54 days now. The Opposition leaders were part of a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in Manipur.

The meeting held today in Parliament also saw demands, particularly from the Congress, that Chief Minister N Biren Singh be removed from his post for “failing miserably” to handle the law and order situation in the state. The Chief Minister was not present at the meeting.

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The Opposition parties also asked the Centre to fix a time frame for the execution of its plans to restore peace and normalcy in the state. Representing the Congress, former CM Ibobi Singh said that all militant groups must immediately be disarmed, while Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien sought to hold the Centre equally responsible as the state government in the “failure” to control the situation in the state.

According to The Indian Express, the meeting saw Union Home Secretary make a detailed presentation on the steps taken by the government so far. The Home Secretary’s presentation mentioned Shah’s Manipur visit and the setting up of a 51-member peace committee and a Commission of Inquiry headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba to probe the violence.

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After the meeting, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson and the party’s Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra said that Shah informed the Opposition leaders that there has “not been a single day” that the Prime Minister has not spoken to the Home Minister on the situation in Manipur since the day the violence began in the state.

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Patra further said that the PM has been continuously giving instructions to the Home Minister on the Manipur situation and that all efforts being taken in the state are in pursuance of the PM’s instructions.

“Efforts to restore peace in the state are being taken on the instructions of the PM,” he said.

Sack N Biren Singh as Manipur CM: Opposition

Besides the Congress, the RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha and the CPI(M)’s John Brittas also reportedly demanded the removal of Biren Singh. The Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and the DMK’s Tiruchi Siva said the CM should be held accountable. The common refrain was that Biren Singh had acted in a “partisan manner”.

The Congress later released an eight-point charter of demands, stating that the state government had “failed miserably” in providing effective governance when it was needed most.

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“The Chief Minister himself has admitted publicly twice his failure to handle the situation and deal with the crisis. He has also asked for forgiveness of the people. On March 11, 2023, he unilaterally withdrew the state government’s commitment to the tripartite Agreement on Suspension of Operations with certain militant groups claiming to be upholders of Kuki interests. This move of his was later rejected by the Union Home Ministry, but by then enough damage had been done. This is one glaring example in a series of blunders. The Chief Minister should be replaced immediately,” the Congress said in a statement.

The party also questioned the absence of the Prime Minister and his continuing silence on the matter so far. “This all-party meeting would have been better if it had been chaired by the PM and had been held in Imphal. This would have sent a clear message to the people of Manipur that their pain and distress is also a matter of national anguish,” the Congress said.

It also demanded that the Centre take steps to ensure the availability of essential commodities by keeping the two national highways open and secure at all times. “A package of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement, and livelihood for the affected people must be prepared without delay. The relief package announced is grossly inadequate,” it added.