BJP MLAs urge Manipur Governor to intensify arms recovery in hill areas

Imphal, April 19: Seven BJP MLAs called on Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a party legislator said on Friday.

The delegation of MLAs met with the Governor to urge him to take steps to ensure that the recovery of illegal arms must be intensified in the hill areas of the strife-torn State.

Addressing the press at the State BJP headquarters, legislator Kh Ibomcha, who was part of the party delegation, further added that they also appealed to the Governor to accelerate between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities and take the peace process forward.

The legislators also urged the Governor to take appropriate action against those who have been involved in provocative acts against various communities, he said.

The BJP MLA appreciated the Governor's appeal to the people of the State to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally held weapons.

“There was a positive response to the arms surrender call. However, people feel that the response to the call and the recovery of weapons have been lackadaisical in the hill areas compared to the same in the Imphal Valley. We urged him to ensure that the recovery of arms must be intensified in the hill districts and not just in the valley areas,” the MLA said.

People had handed over to the security forces more than 1,000 arms along with ammunition during a two-week period provided to them in February and March for voluntarily surrendering looted and illegally held weapons in Manipur.

Ibomcha said, "Seven BJP MLAs called on the Governor yesterday. We have been under the President's Rule since mid-February. However, for the last four or five months before that, there had been an improvement in law and order in the State with almost no report of violent incidents."

More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.

The Centre had imposed President's Rule in Manipur on February 13, days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post. The Manipur Assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ibomcha also said that the "failure" to enforce free movement of all people in all parts of the State from March 8 has "frustrated many citizens".

"As BJP MLAs, we are answerable to the people. The restriction on visiting the sacred Thangjing Hills by some groups has hurt the religious sentiments of the Meiteis. We urged the Governor to take appropriate action against anyone engaging in provocative acts. The Governor assured that action would be taken against those who are acting outside the purview of law," the legislator from Lamlai constituency said.

Ibomcha said the party delegation appealed to the Governor to distribute crop compensation among farmers who could not cultivate their land due to the prevailing law-and-order situation and the payment of pending amounts for the construction of houses for displaced people.

The BJP MLA also dismissed media reports that the meeting with the Governor was related to the "substitution" of the current Chief Secretary and termed such reports as "unfortunate".

- With inputs from news agencies