140 Weapons Surrendered In Violence-Hit Manipur After Amit Shah’s Appeal
A day after Union home minister Amit Shah’s appeal to surrender arms and ammunition before Manipur police, around 140 weapons were submitted at different places in the violence-hit northeastern state, reported news agency ANI.
On Thursday, Shah warned of strict action against those who fail to surrender their weapons and announced combing operations to retrieve arms in the state, which has been rocked by ethnic clashes.
In a video shared by ANI, Manipur police displayed the arms and ammunition collected from various places in the state. The surrendered weapons include SLR 29, Carbine, AK, INSAS Rifle, INSAS LMG, .303 Rifle, 9mm pistol, .32 pistol, M16 rifle, smoke gun and tear gas, locally made pistol, stun gun, modified rifle, JVP and a grenade launcher, Manipur police said.
Earlier, authorities confirmed that at least 2,000 weapons had been stolen by mobs from several government armouries since the violence first broke out on May 3, primarily between the Meitei and Kuki communities. Of which only 605 weapons have been recovered so far, with officials stating that the number could increase in the coming days.
Manipur first witnessed violence on May 3 during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The march was organized in response to an April 19 Manipur High Court directive regarding the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the ST category.
Amit Shah’s visit to Manipur
Union home minister Amit Shah commenced a four-day visit on Monday to oversee the situation in Manipur following ethnic clashes. During his visit, he held multiple meetings with various sections of society, including officials, political parties, and representatives of Kuki and Meitei civil groups.
“The Central Government has formed a committee, headed by a retired judge of the rank of Chief Justice of a High Court, to investigate these incidents. The Governor of Manipur will lead a peace committee comprising members from civil society,” Shah said.
The Union minister further said that the investigation panel would examine the causes of the violence and identify those responsible for it.
Shah assured the people of Manipur that the investigation would be conducted impartially and without discrimination, ensuring that the culprits would be punished.
“There will be a high-level CBI probe into six instances of violence that suggest a conspiracy. We will ensure a fair investigation,” the Union minister said.
He also appealed to the people of Manipur to disregard rumours and maintain peace.