"Situation has reached critical point...": INDIA floor leaders meet Murmu

NEW DELHI: Floor leaders from the Opposition bloc — I.N.D.I.A — on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu on the Manipur situation, seeking her intervention in restoring normalcy to the strife-torn state.

A total of 31 members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, including the 21-member delegation of Opposition MPs, which visited Manipur over two days, met President Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday.

"We, the undersigned lenders of INDIA. with a profound sense of loss and anguish are humbly submitting this memorandum for your kind intervention so that the extraordinary situation confronting the state of Manipur can be redressed at the earliest and normalcy can be brought in urgently," the Opposition leaders wrote in the memorandum submitted to the President.

"The situation in Manipur has reached a critical point in the last few weeks, witnessing a complete breakdown of law and order. The shocking viral video that surfaced online has left the nation in shell shock, and it is evident that the state administration and police have failed to address the matter promptly. The delayed response of over two months to take cognizance and apprehend the accused has compounded the severity of the issue. Subsequently, it has come to light that the said incident is only one of the several cases of atrocities against women," the delegation added in the memorandum.

Earlier, ahead of meeting Murmu, the leaders said they will apprise the President about the situation of the Northeast state, which the visiting delegates experienced on the ground during their two-day visit.

On the first day of their two-day visit, the Opposition MPs visited several relief camps in Imphal and Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur, interacting with locals displaced by the ethnic clashes.

On the concluding day of the visit, the delegation met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey in Imphal, handing in a memorandum requesting her to restore peace and harmony by taking measures "where justice should be the cornerstone".

Seeking President's intervention for peace to return in Manipur, the Opposition leaders stated further in the memorandum, "We urgently request your kind intervention to establish peace and harmony in the state without any further delay. Accountability for the devastation of the past 92 days must be determined. Both the Union government and the state government must fulfil their duty to provide justice to the affected communities. We implore you to press upon the Prime Minister to urgently address the Parliament on the prevailing situation in Manipur, followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the matter."

"Your esteemed support and intervention are crucial in alleviating the suffering of the people of Manipur and restoring normalcy to the state. Thank you for your kind attention to this pressing matter," they added.