Trinamool Congress demands meeting of Parliamentary panel on Manipur violence

Kolkata, June 16 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress has demanded an immediate meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on the continued violence in Manipur.

Trinamool Congress leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien has written a letter to the Committee's chairperson Brijlal, requesting him to convene a meeting immediately.

In the letter, O'Brien said that as a result of of ethnic violence in Manipur, the people of the state are facing a tremendous financial crisis.

"Prices of essential commodities have shot up and there are long queues in front of ATMs," he added.

According to O'Brien, holding the meeting would provide first hand insights into the prevailing situation in the violence-hit state.

The Trinamool Congress leadership h been vocal about the Manipur violence since the ethnic clashes first broke out on May 3.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee even compared the Manipur violence to the ongoing Kurmi movement in West Bengal in demand of Scheduled Tribe status.

She accused the BJP and the Centre of creating a Manipur-like caste violence situation in West Bengal by instigating the Kurmis against the people from other tribal communities in the state.

She also slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as the Centre, of being reluctant to solve the Manipur crisis.

The Manipur matter has even cropped over the debate on deployment of central armed forces in West Bengal in view of the July 8 panchayat polls.

Trinamool Congress state spokesman Kunal Ghosh has questioned the inability of the forces to bring the situation in Manipur under control.