Manipur CM accompanied by ministers holds meeting with Amit Shah in Delhi

IMPHAL —  Days before the vital assembly session in Manipur on August 29, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed the state’s situation, officials said on Friday.

An official said that Singh, accompanied by a few ministers and state BJP leaders, held a meeting with Shah in New Delhi on Thursday night and returned to Imphal on Friday.

The Chief Minister upon his return to the state capital refused to disclose the details of his meeting with the Union Home Minister, only said: “We met the Home Minister to take his advice.”

Singh claimed that the situation in Manipur has been improving.

A vital session of the Manipur assembly will be held from August 29 and is likely to discuss the prevailing situation and the ethnic violence, which broke out in Manipur on May 3 killing over 160 people, injuring over 600 and destroying innumerable number assets and thousands of houses of both Meitei and Kuki communities.

Meanwhile, the security forces in Manipur recovered four looted arms, 38 ammunition and eight bombs from Imphal-West and Imphal-East districts.

A total of 123 Nakas/Checkpoints were installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hill and the valley areas to check the movements of inimical elements.

The Police also detained 1581 persons during the past 24 hours in connection with violations of various laws and government instructions in different districts of the state.

Amit Shah holds meeting with Manipur delegation

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with the delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a conglomerate of several civil society organisation of Manipur, here on Friday.

During their meeting at the official residence of the Home Minister, Shah discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the strife-torn state.

Shah emphasised a firm stance against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory, as per the communique issued by the COCOMI.

He appealed for peace in the state and urged COCOMI to convey this message to the people.

Among others, COCOMI was encouraged to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to facilitate “problem-solving and peace-building”.

The 13-member delegation during the meeting also submitted a representation to Shah suggesting various measures to be taken for restoring peace in the Northeastern state.

Among the measures, the COCOMI proposed includes initiatives for restoration of internally displaced persons in their original settlements.

On Thursday, Shah also held a meeting with Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The Chief Minister briefed about the current situation in the state.

Ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 and since then hundreds of people have lost their lives whereas thousands have been forced to take refuge in the relief camps.

Congress has been blaming the BJP government for the current situation and demanded dismissal of the Chief Minister.

Also read: Manipur violence: SC directs trial of CBI cases in Guwahati