Manipur violence news today: On Saturday, Manipur witnessed a dramatic escalation of violence as an enraged mob attempted to storm the private residence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Imphal. Security personnel, in a swift response, used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Chief Minister Biren Singh was not at his residence during the incident and was confirmed to be safe in his office.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi took to microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ‘visit Manipur and work towards restoring peace’.
The violent unrest extended beyond CM Biren Singh's home. A mob also attacked the residence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Sapam Ranjan in Lamphel Sanakeithel and targeted the house of L. Susindro Singh, the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister.
These attacks underscored growing dissatisfaction among protesters, who blamed government officials for failing to contain the escalating violence in the state.
Protesters also assembled outside the Sagolband residence of BJP legislator RK Imo, son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The demonstrators demanded decisive action and an "appropriate response" to recent killings, insisting that the authorities "arrest the culprits within 24 hours".
In response to the surging violence, the Manipur government imposed a curfew in the Imphal East, Imphal West, and Bishnupur districts, starting from 4:30 pm on Saturday.
Internet and mobile data services were suspended in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi, and Churachandpur districts to curb the spread of hate speech and prevent the circulation of inflammatory videos on social media platforms.
The current wave of Manipur violence gained momentum following the recovery of six bodies, suspected to be of missing Meitei individuals, from a displaced persons' camp near a site where security forces killed 10 Hmar men on 11 November.
The slain men were described by security forces as militants, though the Kuki-Zo community insists they were village volunteers.
Among the six Meitei victims were a 25-year-old woman, her two children, a 31-year-old woman and her daughter, and a 60-year-old woman, allegedly abducted by Kuki militants. The bodies of the three individuals, believed to be among the six who went missing from Jiribam on Monday, were discovered floating in the River Jiri.
The bodies were sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam for post-mortem examination.
Public frustration has been fuelled further by the re-imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in violence-prone areas.
Protesters have criticised ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly for their inability to mitigate the conflict and oppose AFSPA's return.
A gathering outside independent legislator Sapam Nishikanta Singh’s residence on Tiddim Road in Keishamthong turned violent after learning that the MLA was out of state.
Protesters attacked the office of a local newspaper owned by Nishikanta Singh, causing damage to its temporary structures.
The District Magistrate of Imphal West, Th. Kirankumar, issued an official curfew order starting from 4:30 pm on Saturday to contain the unrest.
This action followed earlier measures, including curfews and internet suspensions, implemented to prevent the spread of misinformation and incitement amid the Manipur violence.
Reacting to the spiralling crisis, the Amit Shah-led Union Home Ministry directed all security forces in the state to "take necessary steps to restore order and peace".
An official statement noted, "The security scenario in Manipur has remained fragile for the past few days. Armed miscreants from both communities in conflict have been indulging in violence, leading to unfortunate loss of lives and disruption in public order."
The Centre’s decision to reimpose AFSPA on Thursday in six police station areas, including the violence-hit Jiribam, followed a wider application of the Act on 1 October.
The six police station areas where AFSPA has been reimposed are Sekmai and Lamsang in Imphal West district, Lamlai in Imphal East district, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi and Moirang in Bishnupur
This previous order exempted 19 police station areas, which now include those seeking relief from AFSPA reimposition.
The Manipur government has formally requested the Centre to review and withdraw AFSPA from six police station jurisdictions. A letter from the Joint Secretary (Home) to the Centre mentioned that the state cabinet had deliberated on the matter and recommended a review of the declaration designating these areas as "disturbed" under AFSPA.
