KOLKATA: In response to a written request from the Manipur state government, a five-member delegation from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to postpone its visit to Manipur.
The TMC delegation, comprising five Members of Parliament (MPs), was originally scheduled to arrive in Manipur on July 14-15. However, the Manipur government requested a delay of three to four days, and the TMC has graciously accepted the request.
โEven though all preparations were already fully in place for the visit of our delegation of five MPs to Manipur on July 14-15, we are accepting the written request made by the Manipur State government to โpostpone the visit by three to four daysโ,โ stated a TMC spokesperson.
TMC postpones riot hit Manipur visit after request from state government. It will visit the state on July 19-20, reports @joymalabagchi #news #ManipurViolence #TMC pic.twitter.com/EjgGI0mdvR
โ The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) July 13, 2023
With a positive outlook, the TMC has confirmed that the fresh dates for their visit will be July 19-20. The purpose of the TMCโs fact-finding teamโs visit to Manipur is to assess the ground reality in the state.
It is worth noting that the TMC holds five Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal out of a total of six, one seat belonging to the Congress party. The TMCโs delegation list for Manipur includes two of their prominent leaders, Dola Sen and Derek OโBrien.
The decision to postpone the visit comes as July 14 is the day for the scrutiny of nominations for the Rajya Sabha seats. This indicates the significance of the TMCโs presence in the Rajya Sabha and their need to ensure the smooth functioning of their party affairs during this period.
The move by the TMC to send a fact-finding team to Manipur came in response to the Bharatiya Janata Partyโs (BJP) decision to dispatch a similar team to West Bengal following allegations of violence during the panchayat polls.
The BJPโs fact-finding team, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, visited various violence-affected areas of the state to understand the ground situation and interact with the victims. The team intends to submit a report to the partyโs national president, JP Nadda, as soon as possible.
The state of Manipur has been experiencing ethnic violence for the past three months, resulting in the loss of numerous lives and injuries. Many residents of Manipur have been forced to flee the state and seek refuge in other states. Opposition parties, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining silence on the issue.
