10 political parties urge CM to seek a date with PM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 21 2024: Leaders and representatives of ten political parties met with Chief Minister N Biren Singh today and urged him to obtain an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur issue.

The representatives of the ten parties met with the Chief Minister in the evening at his Secretariat.

The ten political parties include INC, JD-U, CPI, CPO-M, AITC, AAP, AIFB, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and RSP.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting at the gate of the CM's Secretariat, former Chief Minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi said the ten political parties have urged the Chief Minister to seek an appointment to meet the Prime Minister and urged him to end the more than 8-month-old Manipur crisis.

10 political parties urge CM to seek a date with PM

There are BJP-led Governments in the Centre as well as in the State.

They should put in efforts to end the crisis and bring peace to Manipur, Ibobi said.

Protecting the lives of the people and their properties is the duty of the State.

The State has the right to ask the Centre for manpower and tools required to protect the people and their properties, he added.

The people of the State are longing for the crisis to end.

They want to know when will the violence end, and when will peace return to Manipur.

To bring about a solution to the crisis, the Chief Minister should seek an appointment with the Prime Minister, he said.

Ibobi continued that the meeting with the PM should include representatives of the ten political parties led by the Chief Minister.

Even as the conflict has grown worse, the Prime Minister's Office has not called an all political party meeting.

It is conventional for the Government to call all political party meetings when a crisis such as in Manipur happens, Ibobi said.

The former CM said with India's military might, if it wants, the crisis may be ended in no time.

He said the most crucial step and difficult part would be disarmament of both parties in the conflict and giving a platform for holding dialogues.

"Every problem or conflict must have a solution.

If there is a notion [with the Centre] that whoever wins the gunfight must prevail, then there is nothing left for us to say.

If it has no such thinking then the ruling party surely must work towards bringing peace in Manipur," Ibobi said.

Responding to a query from the media, Ibobi said the ten political parties submitted a representation to the Chief Minister.

"The Government did not invite us.

Considering the situation in the State, we did not want to wait for an invitation.

It is a collective appeal from the ten political parties to the State Government.

We are anticipating a positive response from the CM" Ibobi said.