A team of the Congress, Manipur’s Opposition party, will meet President Droupadi Murmu to apprise her of the situation in the State toward a faster resolution of the crisis.
Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said party leaders Gaikhangam and Th Lokeshwor are in New Delhi to seek an appointment with the President. “The Central leaders would not have stayed indifferent had the crisis in Manipur happened in other big States. Even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preoccupied with other official works, he could have sent a representative to Imphal soon after the May 3 incident,” Mr. Singh told journalists in Imphal.
“It is already late but efforts need to be made for lasting peace,” he said.
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Meanwhile, groups of women organised sit-in protests in more than 30 places across the Imphal Valley demanding a peaceful solution to the crisis.
On Saturday, Manipur’s Home Commissioner H. Gyan Prakash issued a notification extending the suspension of Internet services till May 31 on the basis of an update by the Director-General of Police. “There is apprehension that some anti-social elements might use social media for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public,” the order said.
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Three Rapid Action Force personnel were arrested on the charge of setting fire to a meat shop in Imphal East district. The arrest of Somdev Arya, Kuldeep Singh, and Pradeep Kumar was based on CCTV footage, the police said.