Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the ongoing situation in Manipur as the violence in the state escalated, according to sources. This marked the second consecutive day of deliberations led by the Home Minister on the state’s security concerns.
As tensions remain high in the region, the Home Ministry has decided to intensify its security deployment in Manipur. During the meet, the Home Minister reviewed security deployment in Manipur, directing Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and state police officials to maintain peace and order in the region.
The Centre is dispatching an additional 50 companies of CAPF to the state. This comes after an earlier deployment of 20 companies, bringing the total to 70 CAPF units now being mobilised to ensure law and order in the state.
Fresh protests erupted in Manipur on Saturday (November 16) after the killing of six people, whose bodies were found in Jiribam district after they were kidnapped allegedly by militants.
Following the protests, a curfew was imposed in Imphal West and Imphal East in violence-hit Manipur and internet services were suspended in seven districts.
Protests and violence escalated in Manipur on Sunday, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old in Jiribam district of the state after security forces opened fire to control the crowd.
Amid rising tensions, a mob ransacked and set fire to furniture and other property taken from the local offices of the BJP and the Congress in the same area.
In the wake of the devolving crisis, the National People’s Party (NPP) withdrew its support for the BJP-led Manipur government, citing its failure to restore peace.
On the directives issued by the Union Home Ministry, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe of three cases linked to the recent violence in Manipur.
The first case is of a gunfight that erupted between the Centra Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Kuki insurgents that occurred in the Jiribam district. At least 11 Kuki militants were gunned down in the encounter.
A separate case of the kidnapping and killing of six people has been handed over to the anti-terror agency.
Source: India Today