Manipur violence: Amit Shah to hold high-level meeting on Manipur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to hold a key meeting on Monday to review the security in Manipur and is expected to come up with a strategy to control the volatile situation in the northeastern state reported news agency PTIOfficials such as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka are expected to attend the meetingThe Union Home Minister also reviewed the security situation in Manipur after cancelling three campaigns for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20 with vote counting on November 23Manipur where ethnic conflicts have been on rise since May last year is now volatile again following protests and violence after recovering bodies of women and childrenShah will hold a key meeting and review the situation in Manipur on Monday He is likely to give directions for handling the current volatile situation in the state stated PTIResidence of three more BJP legislators including a senior minister and a Congress MLA was torched by a violent mob in Imphal Valley on Saturday night Additionally Security forces thwarted an attempt by agitators to storm the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N Biren SinghThese incidents took place despite the ongoing curfew imposed after people agitated by the Jiribam district incident where three women and three children were killed by militants attacked the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs earlier on Saturday according to PTIResident of PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam at Ningthoukhong Hiyanglams BJP MLA Y Radheshyam at Langmeidong Bazar Wangjing Tenthas BJP MLA Paonam Brojen in Thoubal district and Khundrakpams Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar in Imphal East district was torched by the violent mobAt the time of the incident the legislators and their family members were not at home stated police officials The mob charged into their residential compounds vandalised properties and set the house on fire The police officials added that the houses were burnt partiallyLast week insurgents camouflaged in uniforms and armed with sophisticated weapons had attacked the Borobekra police station and an adjacent CRPF camp which led to a fierce gunfight with security forces Manipur police reported that 10 suspected militants were killed in the incident at Jakuradhor Jiribam on November 11The police said that hours after the incident suspected militants abducted six civilians including women and children from Jiribam districtThe Union home ministry on Saturday said all security forces presented in Manipur are directed to take necessary actions to curb violence and restore order and peaceThe home ministry said strict action would be initiated against anyone trying to indulge in violent and disruptive activities Seeing the fragile situation the Centre on Thursday reimposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipurs six police station areas including the violencehit Jiribam reported PTISince May last year more than 220 people have been killed with thousands left homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valleybased Meiteis and adjoining hillsbased KukiZo communityThe violent clash began after a Tribal Solidarity March was held in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe ST statusJiribam an ethnically diverse region was largely untouched by the clashes saw violence when a mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this yearWith inputs from PTI