Oppn walks out from meeting as Manipur discussion denied

New Delhi Opposition members of the parliamentary standing committee on Home walked out of a meeting on Thursday after their demand to discuss the situation in Manipur was denied by the panel chief, sources said.

At the meeting to discuss prison reforms in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, and Congress’ Digvijaya Singh and Pradip Bhattacharya submitted a joint letter to panel chairman Brijlal, saying as committee members they cannot ignore the situation in Manipur, the sources said.

The letter signed by all three MPs said that as members of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, it is their moral and constitutional responsibility to discuss this matter with utmost urgency and the requited sincerity. “Having been a senior police officer yourself, you understand the gravity of the situation in the State. Manipur needs healing and an end to the violence. We as elected representatives cannot look away,” they said.