Unrest in Manipur: Amit Shah holds important meeting with top officials amid fresh violence | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a crucial meeting to review the situation security situation in Manipur following fresh violence and directed officials to take all possible measures to restore peace in the conflict-hit northeastern state, according to PTI sources.
The review came soon after Shah returned from Maharashtra, where he canceled election rallies amid escalating unrest in Manipur.
During the meeting with top security officials, the Interior Minister assessed the volatile situation and instructed them to ensure peace and order. A new detailed assessment is expected on Monday to plan further steps.
Unrest in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 2023, intensified following the recovery of the bodies of women and children, sparking new protests and attacks. Angry mobs set fire to the residences of three BJP legislators, including a senior minister, and a Congress MLA in the Imphal Valley on Saturday evening.
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 foiled an attempt to storm the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. None of the lawmakers 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. Manipur Police claimed that 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, stressing that strict action would be taken against anyone indulging in violence. The Center also recently reintroduced the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas, including violence-hit Jiribam.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic conflict between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
The clashes started after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ protested against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since the violence broke out, more than 220 people have been killed and thousands have been displaced.