Home Minister Amit Shah cancels election rallies in Maharashtra, returns to Delhi to review Manipur situation- The Week

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled all his assembly poll campaign programmes in Maharashtra and is heading back to Delhi, reportedly considering the volatile situation in Manipur. The home minister will be holding a review meeting of the security situation in the northeastern states.

Manipur saw a fresh bout of violence on Saturday, as an irate mob protesting against the death of six hostages from Jiribam, attacked the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs, including that of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s son-in-law. The angry mob also set the properties on fire.

Shah was supposed to attend a few election rallies as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in Maharashtra but he has cancelled them and is returning to the national capital, sources in the know of the development told PTI.

According to authorities, mob torched the houses of PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam at Ningthoukhong, Hiyanglam’s BJP MLA Y. Radheshyam at Langmeidong Bazar, Wangjing Tentha’s BJP MLA Paonam Brojen in Thoubal district and Khundrakpam’s Congress MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar in Imphal East district, PTI reported.

The angry mob also attempted to attack the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s residence at Manipur’s Luwangshangbam. However, personnel from Assam Rifles and Border Security Force deployed here managed to disperse the crowd 200 metres from Singh’s house firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets.

However, protesters blocked roads leading to Singh’s home by setting fire to tyres and placing iron rods across streets to disrupt movement, Hindustan Times reported.

Curfew has been imposed and internet services have been suspended in Manipur as protests condemning the killing of six hostages turned violent. According to authorities, a team of central security officers including Anish Dayal Singh, Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force, is expected to visit Manipur soon to assess the situation and assist the state government in tackling the situation.

Though there was no official word on the reason behind the cancellation of the minister’s rallies, the sources indicated that it could be due to the volatile situation in Manipur.