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Manipur Violence: Amit Shah Calls All-party Meet On June 24; Congress Terms Action 'Too Little, Too Late'

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. The northeastern state of Manipur has been witnessing sporadic violence since May 3. 

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah
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As Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened an all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss the violent situation in the northeastern state of Manipur, Congress on Thursday termed the action "too little, too late.".

Congress also added that efforts to bring warring factions on the discussion table would lack seriousness if they were done sitting in Delhi.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government.

"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 50 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". 

The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said.

The state has been witnessing sporadic violence since May 3. 

"Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.

The announcement came after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the home minister on Wednesday evening.

Sarma is also the convenor of the NDA's Northeast chapter NEDA (North-East Democratic Alliance).

Ethnic clashes in Manipur

On May 3, the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured.

Amit Shah previously had also visited the state for four days last last month to take a stock of the situation and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state.