As protests and violence persisted in the valley regions of Manipur on Sunday, one person was murdered, and another was injured.
In Jiribam district, security personnel opened fire to scatter the throng, killing K Athouba, a 20-year-old male. Around 11 p.m., the incident happened in Babupara. Furniture and other items stolen from the local offices of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the same area were looted and burned by a mob. The Jiribam police station was just 500 meters of violence.
The district has been tense, and security officers have been called in to quell disturbances.
After being transported to a neighboring hospital, the injured individual is presently undergoing treatment. His condition hasn’t been made public yet, though.
To address the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to meet in-depth with officials today. The conference would be attended by the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, the Union Home Secretary, senior officials from the Northeast Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and officers from the Assam Rifles and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
This follows the imposition of a curfew in Imphal West and East, the suspension of internet services in seven districts, and a new wave of violence that broke out in the valley districts after six people were killed.
Following the devolving issue, the National People’s Party (NPP) criticized the BJP-led Manipur administration for failing to resolve the state’s ongoing conflict and withdrew its support for them. Concerned about the state’s worsening law and order situation, NPP national president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma penned a letter to BJP chairman JP Nadda on Sunday. The letter emphasized that innocent individuals have been killed because of the situation’s continuing deterioration.
“We strongly feel that the Manipur State Government, under the leadership of Shri Biren Singh, has completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy. Keeping the current situation in mind, the National People’s Party has decided to withdraw its support to the Biren Singh-led government in the state of Manipur, with immediate effect,” the letter reads.
With 32 seats in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the BJP became the single largest party in the 2022 elections. Five seats were won by the Congress, and seven by the National People’s Party (NPP). Twenty-one seats were held by independent candidates and other parties. However, the ruling alliance’s representation in the state assembly has decreased since the NPP was removed from the equation, indicating the BJP’s waning power.
The Manipur Police reported on Sunday that 23 people had been taken into custody in relation to a mob incident that involved “ransacking and setting the houses on fire.” According to news agency ANI, the cops confiscated eight cell phones, seven rounds of SBBL (Single Barrel Breech Loading), and a.32 handgun.
ANTI-TERROR AGENCY TAKES OVER 3 MANIPUR VIOLENCE CASES
Following orders from the Union Home Ministry, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has assumed responsibility for investigating three instances related to the recent unrest in Manipur.
A battle broke out between the Kuki militants and the Centra Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Jiribam district in the first instance. At least eleven Kuki militants were shot dead during the conflict.
Another case involving the abduction and murder of six individuals has been turned over by the anti-terror organization.
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