Congress demands high-level probe into Manipur riots
The Party submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu demanding steps to rehabilitate all those displaced by violence. NEW DELHI: A Congress delegation, led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, met President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday and sought a high-level inquiry into the ethnic violence in Manipur. The 12-point charter of demands submitted by the party called for the immediate restoration of peace, harmony and normalcy in the state. “The Union government must immediately take all possible measures to control and confine all militant groups and ensure that all armed civilian groups be stopped forthwith by taking appropriate action,” it said. The memorandum also said that the Centre should take steps for the rehabilitation of all displaced persons. “The letter and spirit of the existing Constitutional provisions related to the state of Manipur must be protected and the trust between communities should be restored through reconciliation and dialogue,” it said. The signatories to the memorandum include K C Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik, Bhaktacharan Das, OkramIbobi Singh, Meghachandra Singh, Gaikhangham, and Thokechom Lokeshwar Singh. Expressing concern over the ongoing violence, the memorandum pointed out that things have turned from bad to worse over the last 27 days with large-scale destruction of property and livelihoods. “Nearly 45,000 people are sheltered in relief camps in different parts of the state with substantial contributions from the civil society and public. There are allegations that the large-scale arson is an attempt at ethnic cleansing and there have also been sinister attempts to turn the ethnic conflict into a communal clash with the targeting of churches and a few temples,” it said. Meanwhile, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee sought the Centre’s permission to visit Manipur. (THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS)