Amit Shah likely to visit Manipur on April 15
In May last year, the union home minister had come to Manipur to review security measures, visited both valley and hill districts
Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Manipur on April 15, officials aware of the development said on Thursday.
This will be Shah’s second visit to the state ahead of the general elections. The state goes to polls in two phases on April 19 and April 26.
The home minister is likely to address a rally at a public ground in the state capital.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded former state education minister, T Basanta Kumar as the candidate for the inner Manipur seat which comprises of valley districts, including Imphal.
“We have been informed that he is visiting on April 15. This will be part of reviewing security measures in place and campaigning for the elections. Preparations are underway for his visit,” an official aware of the matter said.
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The officials did not share details of the places where Shah could visit in the state.
In May last year, the union home minister had come to Manipur to review security measures, visited both valley and hill districts to speak with residents and civil society organisations where he stayed for four days.
The party has not fielded any candidate for outer Manipur seat, comprising of the state’s hill districts.
BJP has extended support to candidate from Naga People’s Front (NPF) candidate, K Timothy Zimik.
Meiteis live in the valley districts such as Imphal and Bishnupur while Kuki tribal residents live in the hills such as Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes between Meiteis, who are dominant in Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kuki-Zo community, which is in majority in a few hill districts, since May last year. The violence has claimed at least 219 lives and displaced around 50,000.
For nearly 45 days, Manipur has not reported a single case of ethnic clashes, gunfights or killings. To be sure, the state is still divided on ethnic lines with security forces continuing to guard the buffer zones to separate tribals and non-tribals from launching attacks against each other.
