Wrote letter seeking permission...': Mamata Banerjee claims her request prompted Shah to visit Manipur

Kolkata(West Bengal) [India], May 30 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she wrote a letter to the Centre seeking permission to visit "peace-loving people of Manipur", adding that her request prompted Union Home Minister Amit Shah to visit the violence-affected state.
"I have been saying for so many days that they should visit Manipur. So many people died, the country must be told how many people died in the state and what the situation is," the TMC supremo said while addressing a press conference in Howrah.
"I wrote a letter seeking permission to visit Manipur to talk to the peace-loving people of Manipur. My letter may be the reason why he (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) made a visit to Manipur. However, despite visiting Manipur, he is not speaking with the people of the state," Mamata Banerjee said.
On his second day of visit to Manipur on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held wide-ranging discussions with civil society organisations, a group of prominent personalities, intellectuals, retired Army officers and civil servants here in Imphal.
The Home Minister also reviewed the security situation with senior officials of the Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces and the Indian Army.
In the meeting with security personnel, Shah said, "peace and prosperity of Manipur is our top priority", and instructed the officials to strictly deal with any activities disturbing the peace of the state".
He also met a delegation of Women leaders (Meira Paibis) in Imphal.
Reiterating the significance of the role of women in the society of Manipur, the Home Minister said that "together, we are committed to ensuring peace and prosperity in the state".
The Home Minister further met delegations of civil society organisations such as; COCOMI, AMUCO, AMOCOC, MMW, STDCM, FOCS, Forum for Restoration of Peace and student organisations.
The delegation expressed their commitment to peace and assured that we would together contribute to paving the way to restore normalcy in Manipur.
Before leaving for Churachandpur, the Home Minister interacted with a group of prominent personalities, intellectuals, retired Army officers as well as civil servants.
The delegates urged the Union Home Minister for effective intervention to restore peace and normalcy.
The Minister visited Churachandpur and held a meeting with prominent personalities and a delegation of Civil Society Organisations.
Later in the evening, Shah held an all-party meeting in Imphal.
The Home Minister will visit the Moreh and Kangpokpi areas of Manipur on Wednesday. He will interact with the delegations of various local groups in Moreh followed by meeting with Civil Society Organisations in Kangpokpi. Later he will hold a security review meeting in Imphal.
Shah, who is on a four-day visit to Manipur till June 1, chaired a meeting with the Manipur Chief Minister and ministers of the state, senior leaders and officials soon after he arrived in Imphal on Monday evening and assessed the situation and chalk out a plan for further steps to restore normalcy in the region.
In that meeting, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka among other officials concerned in the state as well as the Centre took part. The meeting was conducted as fresh violence hit the state a day ago.
During his stay in Manipur till June 1, the Home Minister will hold several rounds of security meetings.
The visit was scheduled as five persons, including a Manipur Police Officer, were killed, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA's house was vandalised and over 1,000 arms and ammunition were reportedly looted by a mob from armouries of Manipur Rifles and IRB on Sunday while combined Central and state security forces gunned down more than 30 suspected Kuki mikitants in the state in last 48 hours.(ANI)