Amit Shah reviews Manipur situation; 10 more companies of Central forces rushed

New Delhi, May 5 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday again reviewed the situation in Mpur through a video conference meeting with state Chief Minister N Biren Singh and top officials in the state as well as the Centre.

A total of 10 more compes (nearly 1,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were also dispatched to the violence-hit state earlier in the day on Friday following orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Home minister was apprised in detail about the current situation in Mpur during a meeting via video conference, and Shah, who is closely monitoring each and every development in the state, asked officials to maintain peace as soon as possible however the situation is under control there, said sources.

In the wake of clashes reported in parts of Mpur, Shah on Friday cancelled all his programmes for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.

On Thursday, Shah also held two meetings via video-conferencing and spoke with the CMs of Mpur and neighbouring states including that of Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam in view of the situation in Mpur.

To keep the situation in control, five Rapid Action Force (RAF) compes of the Central Reserve Police Force along with other CAPF compes were dispatched to Mpur on Thursday too.

Mpur faced violence on May 3 during a rally orgsed by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The march was orgsed in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state's Meitei community in the ST category, following an April 19 Mpur High Court directive.

This prompted the state government to issue prohibitory orders and suspend internet services across the state for five days. Along with a ban on large gatherings, a night curfew too has been imposed in several districts of the state.

According to the Home Ministry and Indian Army, the situation in Mpur has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders.

In a video statement on Thursday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the incidents were a result of a "prevailing misunderstanding between two communities" and appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with the government in maintaining law and order.

As the situation worsened on Thursday, the state home department asked the district magistrates to issue shoot-at-sight orders "in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. had been exhausted under the provisions of law..."

By Wednesday evening, the violence spread from the hill districts to other parts of the state, including Imphal Valley, which has practically been under siege since. Through Thursday, mobs went on a rampage, burning houses and vehicles allegedly belonging to a particular tribal group.

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