The Home Minister Amit Shah convened a meeting with top officials in Delhi on Sunday, following the intensifying crisis in Manipur – a recent trigger being the recovery of six individuals believed to have been abducted by rebel groups.
Mr. Shah called the meeting shortly after his return from Maharashtra, where he had to cancel his election campaign events.
The primary focus of the meeting was to assess the security situation in Manipur, according to sources. Additionally, a subsequent gathering with high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs is set for tomorrow.
In a further development, the National People’s Party (NPP) has withdrawn its backing from the BJP-led administration in Manipur, citing the failure of the N Biren Singh administration to resolve the crisis and restore peace in the northeastern region. The NPP holds seven seats in the 60-member Manipur legislative assembly.
Manipur has been engulfed in sporadic violence for over two years, with clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, splitting the state into ethnic pockets.
The recovered bodies – three of which were found in a river in Jiribam on Friday and three more on Saturday – are believed to be from the Meitei community members who went missing after a skirmish between Kuki rebels and Manipur police the previous week.
The news of these recoveries led to angry crowds attacking the residences of state ministers. Protesters also set fire to tires and blocked roads in Imphal, the state’s capital, on Saturday.
In response, the state government declared a curfew in certain parts of the city due to the worsening law and order conditions.
The state’s home ministry has also mandated the suspension of all internet and mobile data services in Manipur for two days to manage the current unrest.
“Negative elements may exploit social media platforms extensively to spread images, hate speech, and hate videos that could incite public anger, potentially leading to severe consequences for public safety,” a statement warned.
Internet services were suspended for several months in Manipur last year due to a wave of violence that displaced approximately 60,000 people from their homes, as per government records.
The Centre reinstated the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur’s six police station zones, including those affected by violence, on Thursday.
Thousands of the state’s inhabitants are residing in temporary shelters, unable to return to their homes due to ongoing disputes.
