Amit Shah To Meet Manipur Leaders, Visit Violence-Hit District: Report

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a mission to restore peace in strife-torn Manipur, will hold a series of meetings with political and civil society leaders from both the Meitei and Kuki communities and visit Churachandpur, the site of some of the worst violence earlier this month, on Tuesday.

Mr Shah, who flew in to Imphal last night accompanied by home secretary, had held a meeting with chief minister N Biren Singh, as well as some of his cabinet colleagues, intelligence and security officials on Monday late night to take stock of the situation.

The meeting, sources said, decided on a series of relief measures as well as steps to augment supplies in this north-eastern state to cool down prices of essential commodities which have soared since violence began earlier this month.

Sources said Kuki leaders and MLAs, many of whom had left for neighbouring states, may be flown in for talks with him.

Clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The death count since May 3 clashes has gone up to 80, according to officials.

Army and paramilitary personnel have been conducting combing operations in the Imphal valley and surrounding districts, an official said.