MIF expresses anguish over Patil's statement

The Manipur Intellectual Forum urged AICC president Sonia Gandhi to take up the matter with Patil, who visited the state recently.

A local organisation on Wednesday expressed anguish over Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's statement that he came to Manipur to understand and learn the situation and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to advise him not to issue what it called "irresponsible statements."

The statement by Manipur Intellectual Forum (MIF) also urged AICC president Sonia Gandhi to take up the matter with Patil, who visited the state on Sunday.

During his visit the Union Minister had said that he had come to Manipur to learn more about the people's movement and the present situation.

Patil's statement, it said, would encourage security forces deployed here to commit more excesses on innocent civilians and the Prime Minister's and AICC President's attention would be drawn to this issue.