The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday protested at Jantar Mantar against the situation in violence-hit Manipur and alleged incidents of vandalism against women in the northeastern state. Earlier, AAP’s Delhi unit coordinator Gopal Rai tweeted that the Aam Aadmi Party will protest peacefully at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar at 4 pm on Tuesday against rising violence in Manipur and brutality against women. There is an appeal to all the friends that they must reach Jantar Mantar at 4 pm.
More than 160 people have died in the caste violence that broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The population of Manipur consists of about 53 percent of the Meitei community and they mainly live in the Imphal Valley. At the same time, tribals like Naga and Kuki form 40 percent of the population and they mostly live in the hilly districts.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday once again called upon the opposition parties to discuss a ‘sensitive subject’ like Manipur as ‘the people of the country are watching them and they should fear the public’ amid the deadlock in both the Houses of Parliament on the issue of Manipur violence. Shah also wrote to Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, asking them to provide “invaluable cooperation” in the discussion on the Manipur issue.
Amit Shah said in the midst of sloganeering by the opposition members that today I have written a letter to the leader of the opposition of both the Houses that I am ready for any length of discussion. The government has no fear, those who want to discuss should come to discuss. We don’t have anything to hide. The Home Minister told the opposition members that the public is watching you, you have to go to the polls. Keep in mind the fear of the public. You are requested to create a proper atmosphere in the House for discussion on a sensitive issue like Manipur.
Home Minister Amit Shah had said in the Lok Sabha on Monday that the government is ready for a discussion on this very sensitive issue and urged the opposition to allow the discussion to take place and let the truth come out.