Over Assam Rifles removal from state Meitei group meets Rajnath

NEW DELHI: Representatives of a Delhi-based MET group met Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (September 15).

The Delhi Metropolitan Coordinating Committee (DMCC) in a meeting with Rajnath Singh demanded the withdrawal of the Assam Rifles from the violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur.
The meeting was held at the residence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

The DMCC demanded that the Assam Rifles be replaced by another central armed force in Manipur.
Earlier, the Coordination Committee on Integrity of Manipur (COCOMI) had also demanded the removal of the Assam Rifles from the state.

COCOMI has demanded the removal of the Assam Rifles, alleging that India’s oldest paramilitary force is ‘biased’.
Notably, women’s groups belonging to the majority Meitei community in Manipur also staged protests against the Assam Rifles.
It may be noted that the northeastern state of Manipur has been on the boil since May 3 following ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities in the state.

A total of 175 people, including women and children, were killed in communal violence in Manipur till September 14, 2023.
This was given by the Inspector General (IG) of Manipur Police, Dr. IK Muivah while briefing the media in Imphal on Thursday.

As many as 175 people have been killed in the communal violence in Manipur since May 3, of which the bodies of 79 have been claimed by their relatives.

However, 96 bodies are still missing and lying in various hospitals in the state, the IG of Manipur Police said.
Forty-two bodies are currently lying at the Churachandpur District Hospital, 28 at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal and 26 at the state government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Manipur.

Additionally, a total of 1108 people, including women and children, were injured in the violence in the state.
Manipur Police said that 32 persons are included in the missing list.

The IGP added that a total of 360 bunkers constructed in various areas and vulnerable areas of Manipur have been destroyed till date in the operations of police and security forces.