Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said a special flight would be arranged to bring back students hailing from the State stranded in riot-hit Manipur.
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The 22 students from Maharashtra who are currently in the turmoil-racked north-eastern State would first be shifted to Assam from where a special flight would bring them back home, said Mr. Shinde in a statement issued by his office.
Mr. Shinde further said the State government was closely monitoring the situation in Manipur.
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“There are 22 students [in Manipur] from Maharashtra. I have spoken to two of them - Vikash Sharma and Tushar Awhad - and assured them that a special flight is being arranged for their return. I told them not to be afraid of anything and that the State is making all the necessary arrangements to bring them back safely,” he said.
He said he had spoken to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Manoj Sounik and other State officials to make the necessary arrangements for the safe return of the students, who are studying in technology institutes based in Manipur.
An official communication from Mr. Shinde’s office said he dialled Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in this regard.
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He had also contacted the Shiv Sena’s Manipur State head over phone and asked him to provide help at the local level, Mr. Shinde’s office said.
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Some of the parents and relatives of the students met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar as well, following which Mr. Pawar called the Manipur Governor and expressed his concern for the students’ well-being.
Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and Mr. Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, told reporters at Baramati in Pune that he had written to the Chief Minister and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, urging them to coordinate with the Centre and the Manipur government and ensure the safe return of the students.