Imphal: In response to escalating unrest across Manipur, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla convened a high-level security review on Sunday with top police, CRPF, and administrative leaders, following violent protests triggered by the arrest of leaders from the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol. According to an official Raj Bhavan statement, the governor also met with a 25-member delegation of MLAs drawn from BJP, NPP, and Congress, who urged his intervention and appealed for an amicable resolution to the simmering crisis.
The disturbances erupted after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Asem Kanan, a prominent Arambai Tenggol leader, at Imphal Airport on Sunday. The arrests—two by CBI and three by local police—prompted violent protests across Imphal East and West, with demonstrators torching tyres and furniture, clashing with security forces, and triggering a significant clampdown. Authorities responded with prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS and suspended internet and mobile data for five days across five valley districts to curb escalating tensionse .
During the Raj Bhavan meeting, BJP MLA K Ibomcha confirmed that five individuals had been detained—one by the CBI and four by local police—but emphasized any future release depends on results from ongoing investigations. The governor assured the MLAs that “necessary steps are being taken to address the concerns and to restore normalcy”.
Security officials at the review included the state’s Security Advisor, DGP, Home Commissioner, AGDP (Law & Order), IGAR (South), IG CRPF, among others, underlining the severity of the law-and-order situation. The measures aim to stabilize the region and prevent further escalation during a period of heightened ethnic friction.
Protest leaders from Arambai Tenggol have also called a 10-day “total shutdown,” including closure of government offices, as tensions continue. Meanwhile, Manipur’s Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba and former chief minister N. Biren Singh are slated to travel to New Delhi for discussions with central authorities, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, regarding measures to restore peace, reconstitute a stable government, and address public grievances.
Notably, President’s Rule has been in effect since February 13 following the resignation of N. Biren Singh, and the state assembly has been under suspended animation since then.
