CPI Targets Govt Over Not Being Invited To All-Party Meet on Manipur Violence

The CPI on Saturday hit out at the government over the party not being invited to an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur, saying it ''exposes the callous attitude'' of the home minister.

Leaders of various parties, including the BJP and the Congress, attended the all-party meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday to discuss the prevailing situation in Manipur, where nearly 120 people have lost their lives and more than 3,000 have been injured in ethnic violence since May 3.

Not invited to the meeting, CPI general secretary D Raja said in a tweet, ''Exclusion of CPI from the all-party meeting on Manipur exposes the callous attitude of Home Minister @AmitShah towards the burning problems of the state. The CPI is a recognised party in Manipur and is contributing significantly to peace building and harmony in the state.'' He said an all-party delegation from Manipur called on the CPI leadership recently.

He said the party ''is intensely engaged in peace building'' in the region and held a demonstration in Delhi appealing for peace and harmony.

Raja said the home minister ''should explain CPI's exclusion and the lack of transparency surrounding the Manipur issue. Is it the fear that CPI will expose the failures of the 'double engine' in Manipur that resulted in exclusion?'' With his ''double engine'' swipe, the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader was referring to the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in the state.

''Manipur is burning on Home Minister's watch while PM is busy abroad. They will have to answer for their failures before the people of Manipur!'' Raja said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on an official visit to the US and Egypt. The ethnic violence broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the state's hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.