Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting, with a likely focus on the prevailing situation in Manipur, with Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and Hardeep Puri in attendance.
Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the meeting. However, it is being speculated that Shah has briefed Modi about the Manipur situation as well as on the all-party meeting convened on June 24.
The meeting took place within 12 hours of the Prime Minister returning to India after his state visits to the United States and Egypt.
It comes amid the Opposition’s accusations that the BJP governments at the Centre and in Manipur “failed miserably” in handling ethnic violence.
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Since the violence broke out on May 3, over 100 people have died, with more than 300 others injured.
The Union Home Minister chaired an all-party meeting on the Manipur issue on Sunday to take the views of various political parties, in which many of them rooted for President’s Rule in the state while others suggested sending an all-party delegation to the state.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh clarified that he has never shirked the responsibility of dealing with the situation in Manipur with regard to both valley and the hills.
He was given an assurance by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the violations of SoO ground rules by Kuki militants would be effectively dealt with by the Centre and that there was no indication of the Centre dealing directly with the Kukis regarding the present conflict.
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He said, he was ready to talk to every stakeholder in the crisis and he has already taken up steps in that direction and there is no question of separating talks between valley and hills.
He further said, he has started reaching out to CSOs in both valley and hill regions to defuse the situation. Reports said Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday met with the representatives of COCOMI in this regard.
Reliable reports said, Chief Mnister N Biren Singh had been given a week’s time to defuse the crisis by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and that Centre may resort to other measures to contain the violence.
