Government not at all afraid to discuss Manipur: HM Amit Shah in Lok Sabha

Seeking the Opposition's "invaluable cooperation" to break the logjam and discuss the Manipur issue in Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said some decisions by courts and some incidents have led to violence in the north-eastern state and all parties should rise above politics to provide relief to people living there.

In letters to Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Home Minister said the government is ready to discuss the Manipur issue and is seeking their cooperation.

Shah's letter comes a day after he spoke in the Lok Sabha, saying the government was willing to hold discussions on Manipur and that he would reply to the debate.

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Proceedings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been disrupted since the beginning of the Monsoon session. Earlier, a peace mission by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also failed to find a solution to the stalemate in Parliament.

In his letters, Shah said that Manipur had experienced peace and development in the past six years of BJP rule "but due to some decisions by the courts and some incidents, there is violence in Manipur. Some shameful incidents also came to light following which people of the country, those in the north-east and especially Manipuris are appealing to MPs in Parliament to rise above political affiliations and stand with them".

He said Manipuri people are expecting that all of them stand united to ensure peace in the state. "Our Parliament has shown this approach earlier," he said.

Shah claimed that Opposition parties have demanded a statement from the government. "The government is not just giving a statement but is ready for a detailed discussion," he said.

The Opposition has been demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on Manipur first, which should be followed by a discussion.