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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned home after visiting the United States and Egypt, chaired a high-level meeting Monday in which the Centre decided to ensure distribution of essential resources including petrol and cooking gas in Manipur as part of measures to return normalcy in the state roiled by ethnic violence.
The ruling party leadership, it is learnt, is still undecided on a change of guard in Manipur amid calls for the removal of N Biren Singh as Chief Minister.
Modi chaired a meeting in which Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri were present along with senior officials.
Sources said a decision to expedite the process of ensuring regular supply of fuel and LPG cylinders was taken at the meeting. The Centre will also see that other essential commodities are available to people, sources said.
Earlier in the day, Shah met Modi to brief him on the “current situation in the state and the issues involved”, sources said.
It is learnt that there have been discussions at the top level on the demand for removal of Singh from the CM post.
There is still a lack of clarity in New Delhi on the situation in Manipur. “It is constantly changing. If it is calm for a day, it may change on the next day. It will not be politically wise to take any extreme decision in such a situation. The government is taking all kinds of measures to restore normalcy. Both the party and the government can consider other options after controlling the situation a bit,” a party leader said.
The direction to ensure essential supplies reach the people of Manipur is part of steps being taken to restore peace in the state where ethnic clashes erupted on May 3. The meeting Monday followed an all-party meeting convened by the Union Home Minister last Saturday to discuss the ground situation and measures that could be taken immediately.
After meeting Shah on Sunday, Chief Minister Singh too said the prevailing situation in Manipur is “very chaotic”. He told reporters after the meeting: “The initial phase of violence was highly political and sensitive, but we cannot say what is happening now. The situation is very chaotic.”
After returning to Imphal, Singh said Shah expressed concern over the changing nature of violence in the state. “The changing nature of violence from the exchange of fire in the peripheral areas to the civil unrest in the valley districts has become a matter of concern for Amit Shahji,” he told reporters in Imphal.
He met the Union Home Minister a day after a number of Opposition parties sought his removal from the CM post, saying he had “failed miserably” and that “it would be impossible to bring back peace and normalcy under his leadership in the state”. At an all-party meeting convened by Shah in New Delhi Saturday, Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav was the only leader who demanded President’s rule in Manipur, while many wanted Singh’s removal.
Congress leader and former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh too was for Biren Singh’s removal as CM.
Sources said Shah did not directly respond to the Opposition demands. “He told the leaders that the government is doing everything to restore peace in the state. He said every suggestion will be taken into consideration. He concluded the meeting, saying ‘have faith in me’, a leader said.
Earlier this month, eight MLAs from the BJP and an Independent supporting the Manipur government submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office, underlining that the “public have lost complete faith in the present state government”. BJP ally National People’s Party also threatened to reconsider ties if the situation did not improve.
