Opposition INDIA bloc leaders on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit Manipur, as they held a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the situation in the north-eastern state that has been reeling from ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023.

Leaders from Congress, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation and AIFB were among those who participated in the protest "for an immediate restoration of peace and normalcy" in Manipur.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should urgently visit Manipur and Home Minister Amit Shah should resign on "moral grounds" over the situation in the state.

The opposition parties also demanded Chief Minister N Biren Singh's sacking as they attacked the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state.

Former chief minister of Manipur O Ibobi Singh, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, former Union minister Shashi Tharoor, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat, Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja, All India Forward Bloc General Secretary G Devarajan, and several other leaders from Congress and Left parties joined the protest.

"People of this nation know what has been happening in Manipur for the last 19 months, but sometimes we feel the people of the entire country thought... they may or may not have thought so but this is how we feel, that what will happen, Manipur is a small state, let these two communities kill each other, whoever conquers will rule the state... sometimes we feel that," Singh said.

"What is happening in Manipur, if it had happened in any other state of the country, if it happened in Gujarat, or if it had happened here in Delhi, or UP... We are extremely sorry, they thought that Manipur is not a part of India... ," he said.

Singh said Manipur was a princely state, which became a part of India in 1949. "Then rulers decided to merge with the Union of India, because of that we are now suffering... Sometimes our young generation feels we should demand to restore the pre-merger status of Manipur. But the INDIA bloc and Congress never thought that," he said.

"We believe in Gandhian theory, in peace without violence, we will fight till complete normalcy is restored in Manipur. We are also citizens of this country and we have every right to fight," he said.

"If this kind of people rule the country, India will be like Manipur," he said.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said that the whole INDIA bloc is speaking in one voice over the Manipur issue, but the BJP has "shown its back" to the people of the state.

He also said that the opposition is not being allowed to raise the issue in Parliament. "There should be a debate on Manipur in Parliament. Is it a crime to ask questions on Manipur?" he said.

CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat mocked the BJP's much-touted "double-engine" governments - a term it uses to describe the advantage of having the party in power at the Centre and in the state. "One engine is totally out of control, and the Centre is only using security force and AFSPA, and they think they can control the situation," he said.

"We are against AFSPA being reimposed in the state," he said, adding that the Centre should hold talks with stakeholders and resolve the issues.

CPI General Secretary D Raja said the Union government is not doing anything to restore peace in the state. "BJP claims that they keep the nation first... Is Manipur not a part of the nation?" he said.

"The prime minister should take some time out and visit Manipur," he said.

CPI(ML) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh accused the ruling BJP of dividing the nation on lines of religion and community and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.

"Prime Minister of India should be held responsible for the ongoing turmoil in Manipur and continuous violence for 19 months in the state. Union Home Minister of India should immediately resign on moral grounds for his failure to tackle the present violence in Manipur for the last 19 months.

"Chief Minister of Manipur should be immediately sacked for allowing Manipur to keep burning for the last 19 months," Ramesh said, citing the demands of the INDIA bloc, Manipur.

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.