Manipur: Amit Shah chairs meeting with CM Biren Singh in Imphal; security forces crack down on militants

Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday arrived in ethnic violence-hit Manipur as the Centre aimed to restore peace by hammering out a solution between the clashing communities, officials told PTI. The home minister chaired a meeting with Manipur CM N Biren Singh and senior officials in Imphal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs a meeting with the CM and ministers of Manipur, senior leaders and officials in Imphal.#Manipur pic.twitter.com/nHSdQY5Zpe

— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2023

He reached the Bir Tikendrajit Imphal International Airport in Imphal aboard a special flight from Delhi, beginning his four-day visit to the state. On Wednesday, he is likely to address a press conference in the afternoon to announce the measures initiated to control the ongoing violence across the state. He is expected to fly out of Imphal on Thursday morning, security sources told PTI. This is Shah’s first visit to the northeastern state since ethnic clashes broke out earlier this month. The clashes, which have claimed over 75 lives, first broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on 3 May to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. Meanwhile, at least 25 miscreants with arms, ammunition and grenades have been rounded up by Indian Army and paramilitary forces across Manipur, officials said on Monday. A spokesperson for the defence forces said a number of people were detained with weapons after fresh incidents of firing and clashes broke out in and around Imphal valley on Sunday. Around 140 columns of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, comprising over 10,000 personnel, besides those from other paramilitary forces, had to be deployed to bring back normalcy in the northeastern state. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.