An urgent meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs must be called to discuss the prevailing situation in Manipur where violence continues unabated for more than a month now, Trinamool Congress‘s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’ Brien has said.
Mr. O’Brien, who is a member of the panel, in a letter to BJP MP and committee chairperson Brijlal, said the northeastern State is going through an unprecedented phase of violence. “The State is reeling under the consequences of ethnic violence. Ground reports from church authorities indicate that multiple churches have also been vandalised. This is an unprecedented situation. Prices of essential commodities have shot up and there are long queues in front of ATMs,” he wrote.
It is reported that many are dead and thousands have been displaced, Mr. O’Brien said. “It is imperative that we understand the ground reality and assess the extent of the violence.” The standing committee’s deliberations on the issue he said, would provide “first-hand insights into the situation”.