‘Show how many have died due to shoot at sight orders’: Mamata to BJP over Manipur violence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Centre and BJP-led government in Manipur over the violence that erupted in the northeastern state. 

Mamata alleged that when something happens in her state, hundreds of central teams are sent to “defame the Bengal government”; however, since Manipur is a BJP-ruled state, nothing has been done there.

Mamata further said that people want to know the exact figure of how many persons have died as the result of the violence in Manipur.

"People want to know number of people dead in Manipur": Mamata

“We don't know how many people have died due to shoot-at-sight orders and general violence. The state government isn’t coming out with the number,” said Mamata.

As the situation had worsened in violence-hit Manipur, the state government on Thursday authorised all District Magistrates to issue shoot at sight orders in extreme cases.

Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over the volatile situation in Manipur after clashes broke out between the members of the Meitai community and the tribals last week.

Bengal govt's evacuation process

This comes at the heels of the Bengal government starting a helpline for those stranded in violence-hit Manipur. Mamata on Saturday directed her chief secretary to monitor the evacuation process to help people in "distress and despair".

Taking to Twitter, Mamata had said, "The Bengal government brought home 18 students from West Bengal who were studying at the College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur. The students were flown to Kolkata in a flight arranged by the West Bengal government, with the help of the local administration in Manipur who provided safe passage and vehicle support to the students from the university campus to the Imphal airport."