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Manipur CM Biren Singh meets Amit Shah in Delhi after fresh violence surfaces
People aware of the developments said the chief minister was invited for a meeting at Shah’s residence at 8pm on Sunday.
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and four members of his cabinet on Sunday met Union home minister Amit Shah in the national capital, hours after a fresh bout of violence erupted in some parts of the state where ethnic clashes over various issues led to the death of over 70 people earlier this month.
The four ministers who accompanied Singh to the Capital on Sunday on a special flight are Th Biswajit (power), Yumnam Khemchand (rural development), Govindas Konthoujam (works) and Th Basanta Kumar (education). State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief A Sharda Devi also went with them.
According to a BJP leader, the party’s focus is on to resume normalcy in the state. “There is a section of leaders who want the chief minister to be changed, but he is a tall Meitei leader and someone who has a good administrative record. The high command will not take a knee jerk reaction,” the leader said, seeking anonymity.
Read | 60 killed, 1,700 houses burnt: Manipur CM calls for calm
People aware of the developments said the chief minister was invited for a meeting at Shah’s residence at 8pm on Sunday. “No one is aware of the agenda of the meeting and don’t know when they’ll return,” one of the persons said, seeking anonymity.
The visit to the Capital comes amid an ongoing tension between members of the tribal Kuki community, which mostly resides in the hill districts, and the dominant Meiti community in Imphal Valley, who clashed over various issues, including a proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the latter, in Churachandpur town on May 3.
At least 71 people were killed and thousands were displaced in the violence which involved arson, rioting and targeted killings, and prompted the state government to issue shoot-at-sight orders, enforce a curfew and ban on internet services.
On Friday, all 10 Kuki MLAs in the state, including two state ministers, raised the demand for a “separate administration” and “separation from the state”, alleging that the state government had “miserably failed to protect” the tribal group, according to a press statement.
In the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, fresh tension erupted after unidentified people torched some of the houses that were partially burnt during May 3 violence, officials said. There was no report of any casualty.
The incident took place in Torbung in Bishnupur and Churachandpur border areas. Two companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) were immediately deployed and three more were sent to secure the area, state security advisor Kuldiep Singh told reporters on Sunday.
The official also said that a total of 1,809 houses have been set ablaze since the violence erupted earlier this month.
In a separate incident, two tipper trucks were set ablaze by some unidentified people at a village under Saparmeina police station in Kangpokpi district on Sunday. The accused, however, let go of three other tipper trucks and all five drivers, Singh said.
The official also said that one more body was recovered from Bishnupur district. The toll in the May 3 violence has risen to 73, he said.
The security adviser also said that two soldiers of the Assam Rifles were injured in an attackbyunidentified people when the team along with the army were patrolling an area at Lailampat in Churachandpur district on Saturday morning.
According topeople familiar with the matter,around46,145 people have been evacuated to their respective destinations while 26,358 people are taking shelter at 178 relief camps in view of the tension.
Asked about a report on blocking of the National Highway 2, Singh said efforts are on for a breakthrough. “We are trying to ensure the supply of essential commodities via Jiribam route,” he said.
