West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blamed the policies of the Centre for the situation in Manipur, and added that she was in talks with Chief Ministers of States ruled by parties other than the BJP to send a delegation to the State.
“We are talking to each other; some Chief Ministers may visit Manipur, if the other parties agree,” Ms. Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata. Referring to a case of sexual violence by a mob, Ms. Banerjee said that it was a matter of disgrace and shame. “It is a matter of shame for all of us, a video from Manipur has gone viral. What kind of country is this where we cannot respect women? Our heart is burning, our heart is crying,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson said, adding that such “anarchy has to stop”.
Ms. Banerjee said that she had written to the Centre seeking permission to visit Manipur and recently a team of her party MPs visited the State and met people living in the camps. “It is due to the Centre’s policies that the country is burning,” she said.
The West Bengal Chief Minister said that INDIA (a coalition of Opposition parties) is fighting the battle against atrocities on women, Dalits, minorities, Scheduled Castes and the Other Backward Classes.
“INDIA stands for Manipur. INDIA stands for peace,” she said. She made the remarks while inspecting the site of her party’s annual Martyr’s Day rally at Esplanade in Kolkata. The rally is scheduled on July 21.
Earlier in a tweet, she had described the sexual violence in Manipur as an “act of barbarism”. “Heartbroken and outraged to witness the horrific video from Manipur showing the brutal treatment of two women by a frenzied mob. No words can express the pain and anguish of witnessing the violence inflicted on marginalised women. This act of barbarism is beyond comprehension and humanity,” Ms. Banerjee said. “We must stand united in condemning such inhumane actions by the miscreants & bring justice to the victims,” she said on social media.