Manipur: Apex court refuses PIL seeking SIT probe into violence in the northeastern state

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a fresh PIL on the Manipur violence seeking among other things a SIT probe into alleged poppy cultivation and narcoterrorism It asked for a more specific petition and said this one was very difficult to entertain because it blamed only one communitySenior advocate Madhavi Diwan appearing for the petitioner Mayanglambam Bobby Meetei sought to withdraw the plea and was allowed to do soThis petition is very difficult to entertain because it places blame on one community said the bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandcrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj MisraYou can come with a more specific petition This petition has everything from the violence to narcotics to deforestation the bench saidDiwan referred to crossborder terrorism and poppy cultivation in the state as responsible for the recent violence The plea made the Narcotics Control Bureau the National Investigation Agency and the NHRC as well as the state government among others as partiesThe bench has before it a clutch of other petitions pertaining to several aspects of Manipur violenceAt least 150 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3 when a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe statusCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the Narendra Modi government was indifferent to the pain and anguish of the people of violencehit Manipur The Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said MPs of Opposition alliance INDIA who visited Manipur to assess the situation in the strifetorn state heard heartwrenching stories of pain from the people there While Manipur faced turmoil the Modi government appeared indifferent he said on Twitter while asserting that the divide between communities was deeply concerningDespite time for poll rallies selfPR train inaugurations and attending BJP meetings PM Modi seems to have no time to address the anguish and suffering of Manipurs people or work towards resolving intercommunity issues Kharge tweetedHe also said The Modi government appears clueless and rudderless in handling the Manipur situation evident in the absence of a comprehensive statement in ParliamentOver 50000 people including 10000 children are in relief camps The facilities there are inadequate especially for women and there are shortages of medicines and food Kharge saidEconomic activities have come to a halt with children unable to attend school farmers ceasing their farming and people grappling with both financial losses and psychological hardships Kharge said on TwitterA delegation of 21 MPs of the INDIA alliance visited Manipur over the weekend and met many people in relief camps set up for those affected by violence in the stateThe Congress on Monday accused the government of insulting Parliament by not holding a discussion on the noconfidence motion moved by the opposition and instead bringing bills in the HouseCongress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the government should first hold a discussion on the notrust motion He also urged the ruling party MPs to visit violencehit Manipur and understand for themselves the situation thereAmid the impasse in Parliament over the violence in Manipur and the oppositions demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the House Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that he was ready to respond to a discussion in Parliament on the matterThe opposition turned down the offer following which they moved the noconfidence motion as a last bid to make the prime minister speak on the Manipur violence issue in ParliamentWith PTI inputs