The chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Manipur met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday urging “immediate attention to bring permanent solution and tranquillity to the State”.
A. Sharda Devi met Mr. Shah for “an extensive discussion on the current situation in Manipur”. Her three-year tenure as party president ended on Thursday.
State government event put off
Meanwhile, a State government programme to be presided over by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in Imphal on Friday (June 28) for the distribution of benefits under various existing schemes and announcement of new schemes was cancelled at the eleventh hour. No reason was cited but sources said that the programme had been postponed to the first week of July. They added that the programme was meant to distribute benefits to as many as four lakh citizens.
Mr. Singh posted on X late Thursday evening, “Convened a meeting with the ruling MLAs to deliberate on the current situation in Manipur.”
The BJP lost the two Lok Sabha seats in the State to the Congress in the recent general elections.
Ms. Devi said in a post on X, “Conveyed the people’s aspirations and urged immediate attention to bring permanent solution and tranquillity to the State, while appreciating the ongoing efforts. Additionally, highlighted the need for resettling IDPs (internally displaced persons) and providing maximum support for smooth rehabilitation. He assured that the Centre is aware of the delicate situation on the ground and committed to uplifting the people’s aspirations.”
The meeting comes days after Mr. Shah reviewed the security situation with State government officials in Delhi on June 17 where the Chief Minister was not invited.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), one of the largest Meitei civil society organisations in Imphal, is scheduled to hold a mass rally in Imphal on Friday to protect Manipur’s integrity. Posters for the mass rally contained slogans such as “We cannot accept India’s partisan policy” and “Stop combing operation until the end of the war”.
At least 221 people have been killed and more than 50,000 people displaced in the ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo people and the Meitei community that erupted in the State on May 3, 2023.
