Mamata Banerjee on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the strife in Manipur and reiterated the demand for his statement on the
situation in the northeastern state before offering support to the central government in resolving the crisis that has already claimed 150 lives.

"I think the Prime Minister should give a statement (on Manipur). If the PM can’t, he should tell us and seek our support.... Manipur is a sensitive issue," said the chief minister during her 29-minute address on the floor of the Assembly.

Mamata raised questions on Modi's prolonged silence on Manipur, which he broke briefly on July 20 after a video of two women paraded naked went viral, and the BJP's attempts at whataboutery when asked about the northeastern state.

"He (the PM) can go abroad, can accept gifts... but cannot go to Manipur," she added while taking part in a discussion on a motion that condemned the inhuman and barbaric actions (in Manipur) and sought immediate action from the Centre to restore peace and instil confidence in the minds of people.

The resolution was brought by some legislators of the ruling Trinamul Congress.

The chief minister has been vocal about the failure of the central and the Manipur governments in handling the situation since violence gripped the northeastern state on May 3. After her appeal to the Union home ministry for permission to visit the strife-torn state drew a blank, Mamata sent a delegation from her party to assess the situation in Manipur.

"I could have gone even without their permission as I don't need their approval to go anywhere in India, but I chose to send my party delegation.... We do not want to provoke anyone and that's why our motion doesn't talk about any community," she said.

Sources close to Mamata said the motion in the Assembly was her brainchild as she thought independent India has not seen such targeted attacks on any community.

"More than 150 people died. The video was seen by the entire country.... People of the state fled and took shelter in neighbouring states. The state and the central governments failed to handle the situation," said Mamata.

After the motion was passed by voice vote, Mamata told this newspaper that she was very worried about the condition of relief camps, which were not receiving necessary supplies of food items, medicines and baby food because of blockades in parts of Manipur.

"We are the first state to bring a motion like this (on developments in Manipur). We had brought similar resolutions on CAA and NRC and against the contentious farm bills. I urge other states to bring similar resolutions.... We want peace and harmony in Manipuir," added the chief minister when she rose to speak on the motion at the post-lunch session in the Assembly.

Through her address, the BJP legislators kept shouting slogans to prevent her from making her point. Besides asking questions on why the Bengal Assembly would take up a motion on the Manipur strife, the BJP MLAs also tried to highlight alleged incidents of atrocities against women in Bengal.

In her address, Mamata almost echoed the comments of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud when the Supreme Court was urged to take cognisance of crimes against women in Bengal.

"You only talk about Bengal, you try to insult Bengal.... But first admit that what's happening in Manipur is not right," said Mamata even as BJP legislators kept shouting slogans on atrocities on women in the state.

Unlike in the past, when BJP legislators used to stage a walkout during Mamata's address, the members on the Opposition benches were on their feet and kept shouting slogans and clapping to drown her voice in the din. The chief minister, without losing her cool, continued making her point.

"I had expected that there would be a constructive discussion on the issue because not only Manipur, but the entire country is looking at us... Those who are preventing me from speaking on Manipur, they are anti-Northeast, anti-democracy, anti-peace," she said before raising "Joy Bangla" and "Jai Manipur" slogans.

After attacking the Modi government on its failure in Manipur and a host of other issues like inflicting central agencies on Opposition parties, Mamata urged all political parties to work together to ensure the return of peace and harmony in the state. She also invited people from strife-torn Manipur to come to Bengal and promised that the people of the state would share their food with them.