As the violence escalates in Manipur, an all-party meeting chaired by Union Minister Amit Shah will be held in Delhi on Saturday to discuss the situation. The meeting intends to chalk out strategies to restore peace in the state.
According to officials, all leaders of political parties are expected to attend the meeting. Congress has announced that former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi will represent the party in the meeting.
Ahead of the all-party meeting, police on Saturday said that a group of people has set on fire a private godown of Manipur minister L. Susindro at Chingarel in Imphal East district.
Another attempt was made to torch the minister's residence at Khurai residence.
However no casualty was reported in the incident.
Since the violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki communities on May 3, unrest prevailed in the state. Central forces were deployed to calm the situation in violence-hit state.
While visiting the state last month, Shah had urged the people of Manipur to surrender their weapons and maintain peace. However, the situation failed to improve. Fresh clashes between the militants and security forces erupted had left several injured and dead.
The state government has extended the ban on the internet till June 25 with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further disturbance to peace.
Meanwhile Congress had criticised the Centre's move to call for an all-party meet during PM Narendra Modi's United States state visit.
“52 days after Manipur started burning the HM has finally seen it fit to call an all-party meeting on Manipur at 3pm today. This meeting should actually have been chaired by the PM who has kept silent all this while. It should have been held in Imphal as a demonstration of national anguish. The BJP has failed the people of Manipur miserably,” tweeted Jairam Ramesh.
“Even so the man who brought Manipur back on the path of peace & development as CM for 3 terms between 2002 & 2017 Okram Ibobi Singhji will represent the Congress at HM's meeting. He should be listened to in all seriousness given his vast experience and deep knowledge,” he said in his tweet.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier pointed out that the PM's absence clearly shows that the meeting is not important for him.
"Manipur has been burning for 50 days, but the Prime Minister remained silent. An all-party meeting was called when the Prime Minister himself is not in the country! Clearly, this meeting is not important for the Prime Minister," tweeted Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier, nine BJP legislators had written to PM Modi asserting that the people of the state had lost faith in the Biren Singh-led government.
"Some special measures for proper administration and function of the government by following the rule of law may kindly be resorted to so that the trust and confidence of the people are restored," said the memorandum signed by nine BJP MLAs.
"The unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation. I am deeply saddened to see the people forced to flee the only place they call home. I appeal for peace and harmony. Our choice to embark on the path of healing will shape the kind of future that our children will inherit. I have immense hope and faith in the people of Manipur and I know that together we will overcome this ordeal," said Sonia Gandhi.
The ongoing violence in the state had claimed nearly 100 lives.