Manipur: 31 Oppn Leaders Meet President, Demand Visit By PM Modi To State To Restore Peace

The Opposition parties have remained steadfast over their demand for a statement by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on the Manipur issue.

Opposition leaders and Mallikarjun Kharge with President at Rashtrapati Bhawan

Source : ANI

A delegation of 31 Opposition leaders of INDIA alliance, led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, met President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday over the situation Manipur and submitted a memorandum. Speaking after the meeting, Kharge said their main demand was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit Manipur and take steps towards restoring peace in the violence-hit state.

The meeting comes amid an impasse in Parliament over their demand for a response by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. 

"31 members of the INDIA alliance met President Murmu and briefed her on the situation in Manipur. We submitted a memorandum to the President. We briefed the President, especially on atrocities against women, rehabilitation and other conditions in Manipur...Our main demand is that PM should visit Manipur and take steps towards restoring peace in the state," Kharge said.

Kharge said the President has assured the MPs that she would look into the demands of the Opposition.

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The delegation also inlcuded the 21 MPs of the Opposition's INDIA alliance who visited Manipur on July 29-30. They were accompanied by the floor leaders of INDIA parties.

Reacting to the meeting of Opposition MPs with the President, BJP leader Sushil Modi said, "They (Opposition) can go to Manipur, or even go to meet the President but they do not want to participate in the debate."

Ever since Parliament Monsson session started on July 20, proceedings in both Houses have been hit due to ruckus by Opposition parties, who have remained steadfast over their demand for a statement by the Prime Minister.

However, the ruling BJP has agreed to a short-duration discussion on Manipur and a response from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The opposition parties have now sought the President's intervention to establish peace and harmony in the state without any further delay.

In their memorandum, the Opposition said, "Both the Union and state govt must fulfil their duty to provide justice to the affected communities. We implore you to press upon the PM to urgently address the Parliament on the prevailing situation in Manipur, followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the matter." 

The Manipur issue flared up after a video of two tribal women being paraded naked went viral last month. The state police have come under fire over a delay in registering an FIR.

The delegation of 21 opposition MPs visited the violence affected areas in Manipur and met people in relief camps in both the hills and the valley.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was part of the opposition delegation to Manipur, has described the situation in the state as "grave".