The Congress party claimed on Saturday, 24 June, that at the all-party meeting called by Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi regarding the unending violence in Manipur, former three-time Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was not given enough time to convey his points to the gathering.
During a press conference after the meeting, this is what he had to say:
"More than 50 days after the violence in Manipur started, the home ministry organised an all-party meeting today. I was nominated by the AICC. I barely had 7-8 minutes to share my views. Manipur is my home state. I asked for additional five minutes to express my opinions, but it was denied. This is unfortunate."Okram Ibobi Singh, Congress Party
Ibobi made eight main points at the meeting:
The PM should have chaired the all-party meet
The meeting should have been held in Imphal, and not New Delhi
The disarmament of all armed groups
The failure of the state government
The unity and territorial integrity of Manipur
The grievances of every community
The availability of essential commodities vis à vis securing the national highways
The preparation of a relief and rehabilitation package
In addition to Singh, Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the meeting was "just an eye-wash and a formality."
"He was the only leader from Manipur in the all-party meeting today, and it is an insult not only to the former CM and the Congress party, but the people of Manipur, that their representative was not allowed to fully put forth his point of view," the General Secretary in-charge of Communications added.
Commenting on the matter, academic Kham Khan Suan Hausing, head of the Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad, told The Quint, "The short-shrift given to Ibobi Singh at the all-party meeting covened by HM Amit Shah underscores a deeper malaise afflicting our democratic culture and practise where opposition or dissent is considered expendable, something which the high reason of the state treats with gay abandon. Meaningful dialogue and fruitful democratic engagement can only happen when opposition or dissenting voices are accorded equality of respect and agency to determine policy outcomes."
The party also demanded the immediate sacking of N Biren Singh, the chief minister of Manipur who has been presiding over the crisis since it erupted on 3 May between the Meiteis and the Kukis.
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