NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a crucial meeting to review the security situation in Manipur after fresh violence and directed officials to take all possible measures to restore peace in the strife-hit northeastern state, according to PTI sources.
The review came soon after Shah returned from Maharashtra, where he cancelled election rallies due to the escalating unrest in Manipur.
During the meeting with top security officials, home minister assessed the volatile situation and instructed them to ensure peace and order. Another detailed review is expected on Monday to plan further steps.
The unrest in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 2023, intensified after the recovery of bodies of women and children, sparking fresh protests and attacks. Enraged mobs set fire to the residences of three BJP legislators, including a senior minister, and a Congress MLA in the Imphal Valley on Saturday night.
Houses targeted included those of PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam in Ningthoukhong, BJP MLA Y Radheshyam in Langmeidong Bazar, BJP MLA Paonam Brojen in Thoubal district, and Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar in Imphal East. Security forces thwarted an attempt to storm the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. None of the legislators or their families were present at the time of the attacks, police said.
The violence followed the killing of six civilians, including women and children, by suspected militants in Jiribam district earlier this week. The Manipur Police claimed 10 suspected militants were killed in a gunfight after armed insurgents attacked a police station and CRPF camp in Jiribam.
The Union home ministry on Saturday directed all security forces in the region to take necessary steps to restore order, emphasising that strict action would be taken against anyone indulging in violence. The Centre also recently reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas, including violence-hit Jiribam.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic strife between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
The clashes began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ protested the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Over 220 people have been killed, and thousands have been displaced since the violence erupted.