Imphal: Opposition Communist Party of India (CPI) lashed out at the Centre and questioned its eerie silence on the crisis in Manipur.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah had not made any statement regarding the violence in Manipur till date. Why do they remain silent? CPI strongly condemns such attitude of the Centre,” CPI Manipur State Council secretary L Thoiren lamented.

Addressing a news conference at the party office in Imphal, Thoiren said the chain of violence have claimed many lives and injured hundreds besides rendering homeless to thousands after their houses were torched. Such a deadly crisis was never seen in the history of Manipur.

However, neither the Prime Minister nor the Union home minister made any statement which would calm down the people of the state till date, he alleged. “What is behind them remaining silent is very doubtful,” he added.

The CPI leader said that a meeting of the executive committee of the state unit of the party has thoroughly deliberated on the prevailing situation in the state. The meeting also minutely discussed the latest political development after 10 sitting Kuki MLAs openly demanded a separate administration for the Kuki in the state. The party considered the stance of the MLAs as a part of some vested interest persons to break Manipur.

The CPI took the issue very seriously. The party is always ready to fight any forces attempting to disintegrate Manipur with the people of the state, the state secretary said.

“The CPI condemns the stance of the 10 MLAs. It is a move to disintegrate Manipur. The CPI is against the stance of the MLAs,” Thoiren said.

He further insisted the double engine government at Centre should let the people know about its stand on the territorial integrity of Manipur.