Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting on Sunday to assess the security situation in poll-bound Manipur, hit by an economic blockade for more than 70 days.
The Home Ministry had earlier written a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the “ongoing tension and grave law and order situation” and requested it to defer the election in the State in view of shortage of security forces.
The EC rejected the Ministry’s plea and announced election in the State in two phases on March 4 and 8.
Sunday’s security review meeting at the residence of Mr. Singh was attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, IB chief Rajiv Jain, Naga peace talks interlocutor R.N. Ravi and Joint Secretary Satyendra Garg. Attorney General Mulkul Rohatgi was also present.
The Home Ministry had informed the EC about the availability of 87,000 Central police forces for election duty in all the five poll-bound States of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. Around 17,500 Central forces are already deployed in Manipur, excluding the forces earmarked for election.
The Centre had earlier pulled up the Congress-led Manipur government for not ending the blockade of the national highway by Naga groups.
Mr. Rajnath Singh had sent a letter to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh asking him to “discharge the constitutional obligations with utmost promptness” as “maintaining law and order and essential supplies is the State’s responsibility”.
Manipur is reeling under the blockade called by the United Naga Council to protest the creation of seven new districts.
