Amit Shah also warned of stern action against militants who looted weapons from security personnel.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today warned of strict action against those who did not surrender arms in violence-hit Manipur. He also announced a probe into the violence and a peace committee as part of a plan to restore stability in the state.
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Mr Shah also reiterated that the union government had made its stand clear on the territorial integrity of Manipur earlier and did not want to make a statement today on the issue and sensationalise it.
A panel led by a retired Chief Justice will probe the ethnic violence in Manipur, Amit Shah said, addressing a press conference after a series of meetings during his four-day visit to the northeastern state. A peace committee would be set up under the Governor and security advisor Kuldeep Singh and members of Civil society.
Six cases related to conspiracy in the violence will be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI. "The probe will be conducted by CBI, under the guidance of the Centre. I assure everyone that the probe will be neutral and will go to the roots of the reasons behind the violence," Mr Shah said.
The Home Minister also warned of stern action against those who looted weapons from security personnel. "If they don't surrender the weapons, very strong action will be taken," he said.
The Manipur government and the Central government will together provide Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of those killed in the violence, Mr Shah said. "The compensation will be provided through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer)," said Mr Shah.
The Home Minister, responding to NDTV's question, said he had also held discussions on the perceived public distrust towards the state government.
Hours after Amit Shah's press conference, Manipur police chief P Doungel was removed and transferred to Home Department. Rajiv Singh, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tripura cadre, has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) for the northeastern state.
The state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between insurgents and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight. With the state government unable to control the situation even after a month, members from the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo tribes on Wednesday held a protest demanding that the Chief Minister be sacked and President's rule implemented in the state.
The ethnic violence first broke out 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 violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 percent of the population and reside in the hill districts. So far, over 80 people have been killed in the violence, according to officials.
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