NEW DELHI: All efforts will be made to restore peace in Manipur under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Interior Minister Amit Shah said at an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the prevailing situation in the northeastern state.
Shah also told the meeting that since the violence began in the state, there has been “not a single day” that he has not spoken to PM Modi about the situation or the PM has not given any instructions, according to the Manipur-based BJP chief Sambit Patra told reporters after the meeting.
Opposition parties have criticized the center’s handling of the situation in Manipur and questioned the prime minister’s “silence” on the issue.
Almost 120 people have died and more than 3,000 have been injured since ethnic violence erupted in the state.
“In his statement at the meeting, Amit Shah ji said very clearly that since the violence began on May 3, there has not been a single day that he has not spoken to the Prime Minister.
“Efforts are being made to restore peace in the state on the orders of the Prime Minister,” Patra said.
The BJP chief said efforts are underway to keep the peace in the state.
“The good news for us is that no one has lost their life since June 13. Efforts are being made to ensure that peace continues to be maintained in the state,” he told reporters.
At the meeting, Patra said the Interior Ministry gave a presentation on how the violence in Manipur started, what sparked the violence, what steps have been taken so far and what steps are being taken to restore peace in the state.
All party leaders present at the meeting, chaired by the interior minister, expressed their concerns and expressed their opinions “in a very sensitive way and across political lines,” the BJP chief said.
“All political parties agreed that Interior Minister Amit Shah’s 3-day and 3-day stay in Manipur was an unprecedented step as it created a positive feeling somewhere and moved Manipur forward,” Patra, who was also present at the meeting, said.
Ethnic violence erupted in Manipur after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was organized in the state’s mountainous districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community’s claim for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The violence was preceded by tensions over the eviction of Kuki villagers from the forest reserve, which had led to a series of minor riots.