Manipur unrest: Incumbent police chief replaced amid Amit Shah's visit to violence stricken state
Manipur, which has been hit by ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki community for nearly a month, witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.
PremiumThe Indian government has appointed IPS officer Rajiv Singh as the new Director General of Police in violence stricken Manipur. Incumbent DGP P Doungel has been transferred as OSD (Home). The development comes as Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting the northeastern state with the aim to hold talks and facilitate restoring peace amid the ongoing ethnic violence that triggered on 3 May.
Senior IPS officer Rajiv Singh belonged to the neighbouring Tripura cadre. Singh was appointed as the new director general of police of Manipur for a period of three years "as a special case in public interest", an official order said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged people of Manipur not to pay heed to fake news and said strict action will be taken against anyone violating the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. The Union home minister met the Meitei and Kuki community people in their relief camps.
Several have been displaced owing to the violent incidents that has rocked the state of Manipur. Shah assured that the Central government was working towards restoring peace in the state.
Earlier athletes and Olympic medalists including Mirabai Chanu has written a letter to Amit Shah stating that they would return their medals if peace was not restored in Manipur.
Manipur, which has been hit by ethnic conflict for nearly a month, witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.
The death toll from clashes since ethnic violence began on 3 May has gone up to 80, officials said.
The violence first broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the state's plan to grant the Meitei community demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Notably, the Hindu Meitei community forms the majority of the population in Manipur.
It was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
Soon after the violence broke out, the central government had appointed former chief of the CRPF Kuldiep Singh as a security adviser to the Manipur government.
Meanwhile, union Minister Amit Shah announced relief measures for the people of the state in the wake of ethnic violence and said that those carrying weapons must surrender before the police while cautioning that not doing so will lead to strict action during combing operations from tomorrow.
The union minister assured the people of Manipur that the investigations will be carried out without any bias and discrimination and the guilty will be punished.
Amit Shah said the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the violence will be given ₹5 lakh by the central government and ₹5 lakh by the Manipur government as compensation.
The amount will be transferred to the victims through DBT. Special medical officers will ensure medical facilities in areas hit by violence, he said.
The Home Minister said that online education and examination will be held as per plan.
Amit Shah said the central government has provided eight teams of medical experts including 20 doctors to Manipur to provide aid to victims of violence in the state. Five teams have already reached here and three others are on the way.
The Home Minister expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the recent violence in the state.
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