The Congress on Thursday described an all-party meeting called by the Centre on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late" and wondered what is the point of conducting such an exercise in Delhi and in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table, the opposition party said, adding such an exercise in Delhi "will lack seriousness".
A host of Congress leaders, including former party chief Rahul Gandhi, criticised the move to convene an all-party meeting in Delhi and at this juncture.
The party has not yet made its stand clear on attending the meeting, called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on June 24.
The opposition party also targeted the prime minister for what it called his "masterly inaction and eloquent silence" on the situation in Manipur, where nearly 120 people have lost their lives and more than 3,000 have been injured in ethnic violence since early May.
Rahul Gandhi said it is clear that the all-party meeting is not important for the prime minister as it is being held at a time when he is not there.
"Manipur has been burning for 50 days, but the prime minister has remained silent. An all-party meeting has been called when the prime minister himself is not in the country. Clearly, this meeting is not important for the prime minister," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to the US.
Congress general secretary (organisations) KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union government and at least a prime minister-convened meeting should have been held in Manipur itself.
"Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter.
After days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late".
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said it has been 51 days that the agony, "the distress, the pain and anguish of Manipur continues. The prime minister is in the United States now, but he has not said a word on Manipur. He has kept quiet and mum. Not only that, he has refused to meet MLAs, political leaders including his own party colleagues from Manipur."
"Meanwhile, the Home Minister has called an all-party meeting on June 24. What use of having an all-party meeting when the prime minister is not there," he said.
"What's the point of an all-party meeting without the Prime Minister being present? What's the point of an all-party meeting in Delhi when it should be held in Imphal? What's been most shocking in the last 51 days is that as the pain, the distress and the anguish of the people of Manipur continues is the Prime Minister's eloquent silence," Ramesh said in a tweet.
"This is indeed the most shocking part of the last 51 days. It's this continued silence of the prime minister - masterly inaction, eloquent silence," Ramesh said in a video message.
He said what use to have an all-party meeting here in Delhi when there is a need for peace, harmony and reconciliation in Manipur and in Imphal.
"I think this is gross dereliction and abdication of duty on the part of the prime minister. It is beyond comprehension. In fact, it is bizarre why the prime minister has chosen to remain silent when a state of India is burning, hundreds of people have been killed, tens of thousands of people have been displaced. The home minister went to Manipur after a gap of almost 25 days, as they were busy electioneering in Karnataka, but his visit has had no impact whatsoever," the Congress leader said.
He said what is being witnessed today is a bitter division between communities in Manipur and essential commodities are not available easily, while armed groups still continue to operate with impunity.
"All in all, it is a colossal failure of governance of the so-called 'double-engine sarkar'. It is a failure on the part of the Union government to respond and it is a failure of the state government run by the BJP to control the situation and allowing such a situation to develop in the first place.
"It is really the most depressing moment. The anguish of the people of Manipur is the anguish of the people of India. We have to demonstrate that and who is a better a person than the prime minister himself to show that he cares," he said.
Ramesh said, "we still hope that now when he is in the US and he goes to Egypt, somewhere he decides to break his silence. Of course, on crucial national issues, the prime minister keeps quiet. He gives 'gyaan' on every issue under the sun, but when it comes to real issues like what is happening in Manipur, he choses to remain silent."
Venugopal said the prime minister "has not uttered a single word" yet.
"At least, a peace call from the prime minister is expected. That too has not even been delivered.... At least, there should be a meeting of the prime minister level and that too in Manipur. Prime Minister should find little time for our own little state Manipur also," he said.
"The PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged.
He further alleged that the situation is Manipur has "worsened" since Home Minister Shah's visit to the state.
"Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked.
"Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged.
Shah visited the state for four days last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state.
The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the northeastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3.
The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur.
Violent clashes 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 status.
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