A four-member delegation of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Friday left for a three-day visit to strife-torn Manipur.
The delegation is headed by CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. It also comprises CPI (M) Central Committee members Jitendra Chaudhury, Suprakash Talukdar, and Deblina Hembram, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
Before leaving for Manipur, Yechury told media that they demand the sacking of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Manipur has been in the grips of ethnic violence since May 3 when clashes erupted between the state's Meitei and tribal communities. Over 150 people have been killed and around 60,000 were displaced in the ethnic violence. Houses, places of worship, government buildings, and political establishments have come under repeated attacks in months-long violence.
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The Yechury-led CPI (M) delegation's visit to Manipur will last till Sunday.
Yechury told media that they would express solidarity with the people of Manipur during the visit and would tell them the people of India are with them.
"There is a need to put an immediate stop to the ongoing violence. Whatever steps this double-engine government has to take should be taken. The first thing is that the Chief Minister of Manipur should be removed," said Yechury in Hindi in a video shared by ANI.
Yechury also said that after returning from the visit, they would give suggestions on the situation in Manipur.
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Yechury said they would meet the Governor of Manipur and will hold discussions on the evolving circumstances.
He said, "As the time is passing, the circumstances are evolving. What are these evolving circumstances? We would meet the Governor on the basis of it and we would inform her of our recommendations and what should be done. It is only after seeing the realities there that we are surely tell her what can be done."
The Opposition has criticised the Centre's response to the Manipur crises and have slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being silent on the issue. It was only after over two months that Modi spoke on Manipur right before the beginning of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Modi spoke after a video of two tribal women being paraded naked and groped surfaced, which led to nationwide outrage.
The Opposition, including Congress and CPI (M), have held the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) policies responsible for the Manipur crises. In a letter to Modi in June, 10 Opposition parties blamed the "politics of divide and rule in Manipur" of the BJP and called CM Singh the "architect" of the crises.
