Amit Shah cancels election rallies, reviews security situation in Manipur amid political uncertainty

The home minister reviewed the situation in Manipur with top security officials and directed them to take all possible steps to ensure peace, the sources said.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday cancelled his election rallies in poll-bound Maharashtra, including one in naxal-infested Gadchiroli, and returned to the capital to review the security situation in Manipur where situation remained tense.

Shah asked top officials who attended the review meeting to take all steps possible to ensure the return of peace in the north-eastern state, which has been witnessing violence between Meiteis and Kukis since May 3 last year.

Track LIVE updates amid violence in Manipur

The Home Minister was slated to attend two election rallies in Gadchiroli and Wardha on Sunday but were cancelled and Shah flew back to Delhi. CRPF Director General Anish Dayal also reached Manipur capital Imphal during the day to have a ground level assessment of the security situation.

Sources said Shah is scheduled to take another meeting on Monday to finalise further steps to be taken in the state where violence erupted for the first time last year after Kukis organised a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill districts to protest against the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

After a lull, violence returned to Manipur recently and it witnessed an increase following the killing of 10 suspected militants who were killed by security forces after they attacked a police station and a CRPF facility. The killing of six women and children in Jiribam district also added fuel to the violence.

In the past two days, Manipur has witnessed protesters torching the residences of ministers and MLAs. The state is under an indefinite curfew following the violence and the Ministry of Home Affairs have asked security forces to take all necessary steps to restore peace.

The MHA, which had last week reimposed AFSPA in six more police station limits, described the situation in Manipur as "fragile".

Since May 3 last year, at least 220 people have been killed and hundreds injured besides leaving thousands homeless.