Manipur violence: Centre reviews situation; more forces, anti-riot vehicles rush to state
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed the situation in Manipur with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and top officials, even as the Centre dispatched additional security forces and anti-riot vehicles to maintain peace there, sources said.
Shah, who is closely monitoring the situation in Manipur and is in constant touch with top functionaries of the state and central governments, held the review meeting through video conference. The chief minister, the state’s chief secretary and DGP, Union home secretary and other senior officials attended the meeting, sources said.
Also read: Manipur: Fleeing violence, residents forced to take refuge in makeshift jungle camps
Shah, who is staying put in the national capital away from poll campaign in Karnataka, is also taking regular inputs from security and intelligence agencies about the Manipur situation, which by and large remained peaceful on Friday. Around 1,000 more central paramilitary personnel with anti-riot vehicles reached Manipur on Friday, sources said.
They said Article 355 of the Constitution has not been invoked in Manipur. Under the provision, the Central government can handle the law and order machinery of a state.
Clashes broke out in Manipur on Wednesday and intensified overnight with counter-attacks being mounted by rival communities in retaliation to earlier attacks after Naga and Kuki tribals organised a Tribal Solidarity March to protest against scheduled tribe status to the Meitei community.
The state government on Thursday issued shoot-at-sight orders in “extreme cases” to contain the spiralling violence which has displaced more than 9,000 people from their villages.
Also read: Amit Shah skips Karnataka poll campaigns amid violence in Manipur
On Thursday, Shah held two meetings via video-conferencing attended by the Manipur chief minister, the state’s chief secretary, the police chief, the Union home secretary and other top officials of the central government. He also held telephonic conversations with chief ministers Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland, Zoramthanga of Mizoram and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam in view of the situation in Manipur on Thursday.
Meanwhile, at least five DIG rank officers and seven senior superintendents of police (SSPs) and SP-rank officers of the CRPF have been tasked with coordinating the deployment of various security forces in violence-hit Manipur, sources said. Some of these senior officers are being rushed in from Delhi and Ranchi, a source said.
(With Agency inputs)
