| A spokesman of the Apunba Lup (roughly translated as united association) said it would intensify the agitation because the security of people in Manipur was under threat under the present conditions. |
| He did not explain, however, how the people's support would be sought afresh. |
| He said the Apunba Lup would expose the "irresponsible nature" and "indifferent attitude" of the O Ibobi Singh government towards the people's demands. |
| He accused Ibobi Singh of "showing an irresponsible attitude" as he had not been present at the meeting between representatives of the Apunba Lup and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Sunday. |
| The chief minister, he stressed, should have attended the meeting since he was an elected representative of the state and could have expressed his views on the demand of the people before the Union home minister. |
| The negative response from Patil, he said, to the popular demand of the people has showed the Centre's "utter negligence" for the people of the state. |
| Official sources clarified that the chief minister had kept away because he wanted a discussion between the Union home minister and representatives of the Apunba Lup to take place. |
| Sources claimed the talks between Patil and Apunba Lup had failed because the latter stuck to its demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. |
| Patil had said he came to Manipur to understand the situation and that he would look into the demands of the people. |
| The Apunba Lup spokesman said the Union minister's reported comparison of recent incidents in Russia and in Iraq with that in Manipur was totally unrelated and inappropriate. |
| He said such comparisons could be taken as a signal towards the continuation of the Act, which he claimed was "violation of the rights of the people in Manipur". |
| After visiting Manipur, Patil had said, the central government would solve the impasse arising out of demands for repealing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur but the imbroglio might not be solved at one go. |
| "All dialogues are useful. We will solve the problem but all of it may not be solved in one go. But we can go ahead in right direction," he told a press conference wrapping up his three-day tour to Meghalaya and Manipur. |
| Asked if he would like to have talks again with the Anuba Lup spearheading the movement for withdrawal of the Act from Manipur, Patil answered in the affirmative. |
| "We have extended the invitation earlier and through you (media). Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has done it from the Red Fort. They (the social organisations) have responded to it and proper invitations can be sent to them," the minister said referring to the talks he had with the Anuba Lup at Imphal yesterday to restore peace in the state. |
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