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Shah to hold review meet on Manipur crisis
This would be Shah’s first such meeting in New Delhi with the top four officials after President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur.
New Delhi Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to hold a review meeting of the situation in Manipur on Saturday for which the state’s top four officials — governor, security advisor, director general and chief secretary have already reached the national Capital, people aware of the development said.
An officer aware of the development said that this would be the HM’s first such meeting in New Delhi with the top four officials after President’s Rule was imposed in the state.
An official aware of the development, “The governor Ajay Bhalla, security advisor Kuldiep Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh and chief secretary PK Singh left for New Delhi today. The meeting is scheduled in the afternoon. We are also awaiting what the outcome of the meeting and the decisions thereafter will be.”
The meeting is also significant because it is being held at a time when all forces, including army on the ground in Manipur and central intelligence agencies are working to get back the looted weapons. Central agencies have been working with both Kuki and Meitei groups to get them to surrender weapons under the amnesty scheme offered by Governor Ajay Bhalla. Around 6500 guns and 600000 pieces of ammunition were looted by mobs in both hills and valley.
During the past seven days, around 650 weapons and ammunition were surrendered by people under governor Bhalla’s seven day amnesty. Of the 6500 looted weapons from police armouries, the forces have till date recovered just around 2500. A bulk of the looted arms and ammunition including hundreds of powerful guns like AK series rifles, MP5s, LMGs and INSAS are still with civilians and militants in the state. Governor Bhalla on Friday extended the deadline to surrender the weapons till March 6 and assured people that until no punitive action would be taken if the looted weapons were returned before the deadline.
Nearly 22 months after ethnic clashes started across Manipur on May 3, 2024, normalcy is yet to be restored. On February 13, 2024 President’s Rule was imposed in the state, days after chief minister Biren Singh resigned following a rebellion by some party MLAs who were against Singh holding command of the state. A month before Singh’s resignation, the Centre had appointed former home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the governor.
