PM monitoring Manipur situation, no death since Jun 13: Shah at party meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constantly monitoring the Manipur situation since day one and "guiding us with full sensitivity" to find a solution to the problem, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at an all-party meeting held on Saturday.

Sources said Shah told the meeting the situation in Manipur is slowly returning to normal and not a single person has died since June 13 in violence in the state.

The home minister solicited cooperation of all the political parties to help defuse the situation and restore peace and trust among various communities in Manipur at the earliest.

So far, 1,800 looted weapons have been surrendered.

Eighteen political parties including the BJP and four MPs from northeast and two chief ministers from the region attended the meeting.

The home minister said all political parties sensitively and apolitically gave their suggestions for restoration of peace in Manipur and the Central government will consider them with an open mind.

The opposition parties have been critical of the Centre's handling of the Manipur situation and have questioned the prime minister's "silence" on the issue.

Shah said Prime Minister Modi has been constantly monitoring the situation in Manipur since day one and "guiding us with full sensitivity" to find a solution to the problem, the sources said.

The meeting with leaders of various political parties was convened in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur.

Shah told the meeting the Modi government is committed to solve the Manipur problem by taking everyone together, sources said.

The priority of the Modi government is that no more lives should be lost due to violence in the state, he said.

The home minister said 36,000 security personnel including 40 IPS officers have been deployed in Manipur, while 20 medical teams have also been sent, according to the sources.

The supply of all essential items including medicines is being ensured, he said.

Fencing work on the 10 km of Myanmar-Manipur border has been completed, while tendering exercise for 80 km of the border fencing has been completed and a survey of the remaining border is underway, Shah told the meeting.

He expressed gratitude on behalf of Prime Minister Modi and the government to all political parties for giving "useful suggestions" to resolve the Manipur issue.

Meanwhile, according to the sources, BJP President JP Nadda said in the meeting that all possible steps are being taken by the Centre and the Home Minister to find a solution to the Manipur problem at the earliest.

Prime Minister Modi has been keeping an eye on this whole issue since day one, Nadda was quoted as saying by sources.

The Manipur issue is very sensitive and needs to be handled with sensitivity, he said.

The government discussed the useful suggestions given by all political parties with an open mind and assured them the government will take all possible steps to solve the problem, the sources said.

Nadda said the Manipur issue is rooted in many historical factors which have also led to the current flare-up.

The home minister himself stayed in Manipur for four days and held a detailed discussion with all groups and visited relief camps, Nadda said, adding Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stayed there for more than 20 days.

"The Modi government is doing everything possible to bring the situation back to normal, we are sure that peace will return to Manipur very soon," Nadda was quoted as saying by the sources.