European Parliament asks India to act promptly to end Manipur violence

LONDON: Shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on a State visit, in another French city, Strasbourg, the European Parliament (EP) called on the Indian government to act “promptly” to halt the violence in Manipur and protect religious minorities.

The resolution was passed by a show of hands on Thursday after a debate on the issue on Wednesday evening.

The government called the EU legislature action “unacceptable”. The EP resolution asked the government “to protect all religious minorities, such as Manipur’s Christian community, and to pre-empt any further escalation”. It also calls on authorities to grant unhindered access to the area by journalists and international observers and to end Internet shutdowns.

The resolution called on the government “to repeal the unlawful Armed Forces Special Powers Act in line with the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review”.