As violence and protests by students continued unabated in Manipur, the Centre decided to deploy two battalions of CRPF, comprising around 2,000 personnel, to handle the situation in strife-torn northeastern state, officials said on Tuesday night.
A senior police officer said that the two battalions of CRPF would come to Manipur from Telangana and Jharkhand and would be deployed in the tribal-dominated areas of the state, including Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
Manipur already has more than 60,000 personnel from the Army, Assam Rifles, and Central Armed Police Forces-which also include CRPF and the Border Security Force-in addition to its state police force.
Sources said that two Assam Rifles battalions were withdrawn from Manipur for operational duties in Jammu and Kashmir and some other parts of the northeast. On Monday, thousands of tribals belonging to the Kuki-Zo community came out on the streets in Kangpokpi district protesting the reported removal of the two Assam Rifles battalions from Kangpokpi and Churachandpur.
A Manipur police officer said on Tuesday that the probe into the bombings with drones would be transferred to the central investigating agencies, adding that police are collecting various pieces of evidence in connection with the case.
"We have already recovered the bomb fragments which have been sent to the forensic lab for testing to find out the chemicals used in them," he said.
Maninpuri Police also urged students to peaceful and democratic protests while warning them against the spreading of fake news on social media.
The vested interest groups are instigating violence on the social media. We are keeping a close watch on the social media posts and action would be taken as per law. False, concocted and pre-planned messages and fake videos posted on social media creates panic and confusion thereby leading to deteriorating law and order situation," the officer said.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (Operations), I.K. Muivah, has strongly denied a reported statement from a retired security official: "There is no Manipur Police but only Meitei Police or Kuki Police."
Muivah, briefing the media, said: "It was an immature statement by the retired security official. Manipur Police consists of people from different communities including Nagas, Meiteis, Manipuri Muslims and non-Manipuris. There are also Christians, Muslims, and Hindus in the force."
In light of protests by students against escalating violence in different districts of Manipur, the State government on Tuesday suspended mobile internet services in five districts and ordered closure of educational institutions till September 12.
Over a thousand students defied the curfew and staged protests in Imphal for the second day on Tuesday even as security forces lobbed teargas shells and fired in the air to disperse them.
A Manipur Police statement said that in the follow-up action during the students' protests, several people including police personnel sustained minor injuries and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
A Raj Bhavan statement said that representatives of students met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Tuesday evening and submitted a memorandum.
The student leaders pressed upon the Governor to take appropriate steps in the direction of fulfilling their demand for restoring peace and normalcy, control in militant activities, and protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur.
"While giving a patient hearing to the students, the Governor said they are the future of our nation. He assured them of taking steps in the best interest of the students and the people of Manipur," the statement said.
Authorities had earlier in the day reimposed curfew in three districts — Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal — fearing fresh trouble in the capital city and adjoining areas.
Recently, Manipur BJP legislator Rajkumar Imo Singh-son-in-law of the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh-wrote in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the presence of about 60,000 central forces personnel in Manipur is not yielding peace, so it's better to remove such forces who are mostly present as "mute spectators".
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