'We're ready. The numbers are there. The only thing missing is Delhi's nod.' 'If they try to force Biren back in, the whole thing will fall apart.'
'Replacement of the CM with a more acceptable face may be a good start towards resolving Manipur's problem.'
The incident took place on September 19 at around 5:50 pm when a vehicle-based column of troops of 33 Assam Rifles was moving from its Patsoi Company Operating Base to Nambol Company Operating Base.
The Assam government will request the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast-track court to decide on singer Zubeen Garg's death case. The cabinet also decided to appoint a special public prosecutor for the case.
'But at least the stepping stone has started.'
Singh said that he would resign if the government measures against the use of drugs and its campaigns against the influx of unauthorised immigrants to contain the situation in the state were found to be unconstitutional.
Preparations are underway in Manipur for a likely visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his first since ethnic violence broke out in the state. A grand stage is being erected at Kangla Fort, and cleaning and painting activities are ongoing. The visit comes as the state grapples with the aftermath of clashes between Meiteis and Kukis.
The prime minister is likely to arrive in Manipur on Saturday, in what would be his first visit to the northeastern state since the ethnic violence broke out between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo people in May 2023, which claimed over 260 lives and rendered thousands homeless.
Around 20 MLAs belonging to the warring Meitei and Kuki communities of Manipur met in New Delhi on Tuesday for the first time since ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state 17 months ago, in a bid to hammer out a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.
Singh also attributed the current crisis to the 'failure' of the previous government in guarding the state's borders.
'Had it not been for the complicity of the state and Biren Singh's leadership, these riots would not have spread this far and for so long.'
The former footballer who later became editor of a vernacular daily Naharolgi Thoudang, has managed to strike a chord with the youth, promoting entrepreneurship through programmes such as 'Start-Up Manipur' as an alternative for young people who were being attracted to insurgency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 8,500 crore in Manipur on September 13. This visit marks his first since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023.
Singh, who arrived in the national capital from Imphal on Sunday morning, went to meet Shah at his residence in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Manipur to unveil projects worth 8,500 crore, marking his first visit since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023. The visit is met with heightened security and criticism from opposition parties.
Security forces on Wednesday stopped nearly 100 internally displaced people in Manipur from returning to their villages in Dolaithabi in Imphal East district, police said.
Leading Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely visit, hoping he will address their aspirations for a separate administration and lasting peace in the region affected by ethnic violence.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been extended for six months in parts of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh due to the prevailing law and order situation.
'Knowing that a no-confidence motion would succeed, the BJP central leadership forced N Biren Singh to resign.' 'If he had lost on the floor of the House, it would have been a major setback for the BJP.'
Parliament has approved a resolution to extend President's Rule in Manipur for another six months, amidst opposition protests regarding electoral roll revisions in Bihar. The extension comes after the imposition of President's Rule in February due to ongoing ethnic conflict.
'The central government can stop further destruction... if they have the political will to do so.'
The Janata Dal-United state unit in Manipur has withdrawn support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Biren Singh government and the party has informed its decision to governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
Activist Manoj Jarange vows to intensify his hunger strike for Maratha reservation under OBC, while the Maharashtra government seeks legal opinion on the issue.
During the meeting, it was decided to hold consultations on a wider scale so as to arrive at a common political agenda with other groups, it said.
The BJP has returned to power in Manipur by winning 32 seats in the 60-member House in the recent assembly elections in the state.
Activist Manoj Jarange's hunger strike demanding Maratha quota continues for the third day in Mumbai, following a meeting with a government delegation. The protest has caused traffic disruptions and highlights the ongoing debate over reservation policies in Maharashtra.
'All MLAs have the same demand -- to form the next BJP government in Manipur as early as possible.'
Singh, along with five cabinet ministers, were administered oath by Governor La Ganesan.
A member of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol was apprehended for allegedly firing at security personnel during the recent protests in Manipur over the arrests of a leader of the organisation and four others, police said on Wednesday.
The incident happened when security forces launched a search operation after a Meitei farmer received gunshot wounds while working in the fields in the valley district of Bishnupur after shots were fired from the surrounding hills, they said.
A Bharatiya Janata Party delegation on Tuesday called on Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal amid a leadership crisis following the resignation of N Biren Singh as the chief minister of the ethnic violence-hit state two days ago.
A sessions court in Manipur's Churachandpur has been designated as a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court for the trial of cases related to ethnic violence being investigated by the NIA.
Protesters took out torchlight processions overnight, burnt a government building and clashed with security forces, defying prohibitory orders as Manipur continued to witness demonstrations over the arrests of a Meitei organisation leader and four others, police said on Monday.
It said all necessary security arrangements would be made to ensure the security of people attending the Shirui festival.
An Indian Army soldier was injured after armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing from Kanto Sabal towards Chingmang village on the intervening night of June 18-19.
National People's Party, a partner in the existing government which won seven seats in the just concluded state poll, will not be a part of the new dispensation, Singh told reporters at his residence.
Opposition parties in India have criticized the imposition of President's rule in strife-torn Manipur, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of failing to address the ethnic violence and using the measure to cover up internal conflicts within the party. They demanded a clear roadmap for restoring peace and questioned the government's lack of transparency and inaction on the issue. The violence, which erupted in May 2023, has left over 250 people dead.
Manipur has been under President's Rule since February after BJP leader N Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister, amid criticisms about his government's handling of the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos, which broke out in May 2023.
'One of our MLA's homes has already been attacked by the mob. This legislator was beaten. This MLA belongs to the Meitei community.' 'There is a complete collapse of law and order in Manipur.'
They said that such a solution must rest on the pillars of political will, inclusive dialogue, constitutional safeguards and impartial endorsement of law and order.
