'All of us will have to make efforts to bring peace in Manipur': Sitharaman

Guwahati, July 21

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said "all of us will have to make efforts" to bring back peace in the strife-torn state of Manipur.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme here, Sitharaman stated that Manipur must overcome its current issues.

"The incident involving the parade of naked women is a significant and delicate problem. The state is going through a trying time, and every community there is hurt," she said.

"Manipur is a beautiful state and it has to come out of the crisis. Honestly, all of us will have to make efforts to bring back peace to the state," the Union Minster said, adding that this kind of incident hurts each and every one in the country and there are no words though which anybody can explain or address the issue.

She said the perpetrators must be arrested and that some arrests were already made on Thursday.

"I am confident that every effort will be made to punish the offenders," the Minister said.

She also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about how the country hangs its head in shame over the distressing issue that emerged from Manipur prior to the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Thursday.