The chief minister demanded effective intervention by the Union government to check the spiralling violence against Hindi-speaking people. It is the duty of the Union government to ensure protection of the lives and properties of the people. Given the volatile state of affairs in the north eastern states, its responsibilities to ensure peace is even greater, Nitish told newsmen in Patna on Wednesday.

He said the incidents of killing were most condemnable and everybody should strongly speak out against the outrage. Nitish said those being attacked in Manipur are not migrant labourers but people who had settled there long back.

Patil, on the other hand, told Parlimaent that the two north eastern states have been asked to identify the vulnerable areas and the outfits responsible for the acts.

Patil said in the Rajya Sabha that the Centre had asked the states to take strong action against the group involved. The states have been asked to beef up security around the areas where the targets live and provide for transport facilities.

A spokesman of the home ministry said they were in touch with the chief secretary, the DGP and the home secretary of Manipur in the wake of killing of some innocent persons in the state.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said in the Lok Sabha that the Government is committed to dealing firmly with terrorists, who are trying to trigger ethnic tension.

Earlier, Ramjilal Suman (SP), while raising the issue in Lok Sabha, said a parallel Government was running in Manipur. Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) said it was a challenge to the Constitution. Terrorists are trying to incite regional sentiments. This is a national issue. The Janata Dal (United)’s Prabhunath Singh said the Government of India should take action to prevent such incidents from re-occurring. It encourages separatism, he said.

On the other hand raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, Brinda Karat of the CPM, describing the killings as deeply distressing.

Comment