The Centre’s decision to convene an all-party meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the ongoing crisis in Manipur has sparked criticism from some Opposition parties, who are demanding the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The meeting, scheduled for Saturday, aims to address the ethnic clashes in the northeastern state that have resulted in over 110 deaths since May 3.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the meeting through a tweet, stating, “Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24th at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur.” The announcement came shortly after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Shah in the national capital late Wednesday night.
The Congress party criticized the all-party meeting, deeming it “too little, too late.” They argued that discussions held in Delhi would lack seriousness and called for efforts to bring the warring factions to the discussion table. The party also pointed out that the meeting was scheduled only after former Congress President Sonia Gandhi expressed her concern over the turbulence in the northeast region.
In response, the BJP accused the Congress of making the “too little, too late” remark to create grounds for boycotting the meeting and avoid accountability.
Amit Malviya, the head of BJP’s IT department, alleged that the violence in Manipur is a “legacy” of the Congress, as ethnic conflicts were sown when the party was in power at both the central and state levels.
“The Congress first demanded an all-party meeting, and now, when one has been announced, it is creating grounds to boycott it just two days ahead of the meet. It is obvious that the Congress’ intent is not to find a solution, avoid accountability, and keep the pot boiling,” claimed the BJP leader in a Twitter post.
Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted that Home Minister Amit Shah is capable of handling the situation in violence-hit Manipur, eliminating the need for the Prime Minister to visit the northeastern state.
This statement came in response to criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who questioned why Prime Minister Modi was undertaking a tour of the US instead of visiting Manipur to restore peace.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi suggested that the absence of the Prime Minister during the all-party meeting indicates its lack of importance to him. He highlighted that Manipur has been engulfed in unrest for 50 days, but the Prime Minister has remained silent.
Congress General Secretary KV Venugopal emphasized the need for a meeting at the Prime Ministerial level, specifically in Manipur. He urged the Prime Minister to prioritize the peace and well-being of the state.
The opposition’s demand for the Prime Minister’s presence adds a new dimension to the upcoming all-party meeting, raising questions about the level of engagement and accountability in resolving the Manipur crisis.