Trinamool Congress' Fact-finding Team Leaves for Manipur

A five-member fact-finding team of the Trinamool Congress left for Manipur on Wednesday to review the current situation in the violence-hit state.

Before leaving for Imphal, the team members expressed apprehension of complete non-cooperation from the local administration in Manipur to prevent them from reaching the conflict-hit tribal areas.

“We will try to prepare a detailed report on the troubled areas in Manipur before the next session of Parliament. But we doubt whether we will be able to visit all the tribal areas where violence broke out," former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev.

"The local administration is also yet to confirm helicopter services for us. Without helicopter services, it will be extremely difficult to reach the remote tribal areas. However, some local non-government organisations have already agreed to provide some logistical support,” Dev, who is also a member of the team, added.

She further said that it is the responsibility of the local administration in Manipur to provide security to the Trinamool Congress team.

“We have even contacted Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and sought his cooperation."

Besides Dev, the other members of the fact-finding team are Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Kalyan Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

A decision to send the delegation to Manipur was taken by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 10.

The decision came just about an hour after information surfaced that the BJP had decided to send a four-member fact finding team to West Bengal to review the large scale violence related to the panchayat elections.