Manipur violence: Congress delegation to meet President

Ethnic clashes which have claimed over 75 lives first broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

New Delhi: Alleging that things have "turned from bad to worse" in Manipur which has been affected by ethnic clashes, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said a delegation led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will meet President Draupadi Murmu on Tuesday.

Ethnic clashes, which have claimed over 75 lives first broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March', was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against 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. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Manipur from Monday. Ramesh also alleged that there was a complete breakdown of law and order in the northeastern state.

"25 days after Manipur started burning, things have turned from bad to worse on the eve of the long-awaited visit of the Union Home Minister to Imphal. Despite Article 355 being imposed, there’s a total and complete breakdown of law & order and administration in the state. It’s a horrific tragedy unfolding while the Prime Minister is obsessed about his self-coronation. Not a single appeal of peace issued by him nor has there been a genuine outreach to rebuild trust between communities. A delegation led by the Congress President @kharge will be calling on Honble Rashtrapati on Tuesday morning," Ramesh said in the tweet.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, security forces killed around 40 'terrorists' in 'retaliatory and defensive' operations in different areas of Manipur during the ongoing violence that erupted a few weeks ago in the state, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said.