New Delhi/Imphal: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday, directed the Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to accelerate the ongoing peace process and further strengthen the growing bonhomie among different communities in the state, officials said.
An official from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Imphal said that the Union Home Minister held a detailed discussion on the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur with the Chief Minister Khemchand Singh during a meeting at the Parliament House complex.
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh had arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday evening specifically to meet Union Home Minister Shah.
“The Union Home Minister reviewed the current security scenario in Manipur with the Chief Minister. He also instructed him to expedite the ongoing peace initiatives and consolidate the improving relations among various communities,” the CMO official said.
During the meeting, Union Minister Shah also gave in-principle approval for raising a Manipur Rifles unit (the Mahila India Reserve Battalion) for the state, and asked the Chief Minister to submit a formal proposal in this regard.
Earlier, on February 22, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh, accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers — Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho — had met the Union Home Minister to discuss several key issues, including the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by the ethnic violence.
According to the CMO official in Imphal, Home Minister Shah had then reviewed the steps taken by the newly formed state government to remove barriers between communities and restore peace and harmony.
The discussions took place at the Union Home Minister’s residence in New Delhi.
Since the installation of the BJP-led coalition government in Manipur, the state administration has launched multiple outreach programmes aimed at fostering peace, reconciliation, and mutual trust among communities, the official noted.
During the February meeting as well, Union Home Minister Shah had assured Chief Minister Khemchand Singh and the Deputy Chief Ministers of full support from the Central government to restore normalcy in the state.
He reiterated the Centre’s commitment to extending all necessary assistance for the overall development and progress of Manipur, the official added.
The Union Home Minister had also emphasised the need to prioritise the rehabilitation of IDPs affected by ethnic violence and assured comprehensive support from the Centre in addressing the issue.
The current visit marks Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s third trip to New Delhi since assuming office as the Chief Minister of Manipur on February 4.
During his earlier visits to New Delhi, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh held separate meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
These discussions primarily focused on critical issues such as the rehabilitation of violence-affected IDPs and the broader restoration of peace and stability in the state.
(IANS)
