The Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, went to meet the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, in Delhi on Sunday to discuss the violent situation in the state. Ethnic fights between the Meitei and Kuki communities have resulted in over 100 deaths and 40,000 people being displaced since May 3. This was Singh’s first visit to Delhi since the conflict began. Shah hosted an all-party meeting the previous day to discuss the situation in Manipur. Opposition parties have called for Singh to be removed as Chief Minister and President’s Rule to be imposed in the state.
Shah posted on Twitter that he and Singh discussed the situation on the ground in Manipur. He said that the State and Central governments have been able to control the violence to a great extent in the past week under his close supervision. Singh reported that there have been no casualties related to the violence since June 13th. Shah has pledged to take all possible measures to restore normality to Manipur.
During the meeting, Shah urged Singh to intensify efforts to bring about perpetual peace and called for everyone’s assistance. Sambit Patra, the spokesman for the BJP at the national level, Leishemba Sanjaoba, the titular ruler of Manipur, BJP Rajya Sabha MP from the state, and assembly speaker T Satyabrata Singh were present. Opposition lawmakers condemned Singh’s handling of the crisis and asked for his removal at an all-party meeting on Saturday.
Shah spent four days in Manipur last month meeting with a wide range of people in an effort to restore peace. He encouraged participants in the meeting on Saturday to trust him while the Centre monitors the situation and takes action to bring about a return to normalcy in Manipur.
