Manipur violence: Amit Shah speaks to CM Biren Singh; RAF airlifted
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and took stock of the situation in the state where violence broke out during a tribal agitation.
The Centre, which is monitoring the situation in Manipur, has also dispatched teams of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) for deployment in violence-hit areas of the Northeastern state.
The RAF is a specialised force to handle riot-like situations.
Officials said the home minister has spoken to the Manipur chief minister, who briefed him about the ground situation and the steps taken to restore peace.
The troops of the Army and Assam Rifles have already been deployed on the ground.
Apart from these two forces, sufficient number of paramilitary forces were also available in Manipur for deployment in violence-hit areas.
Official sources said five companies of the RAF have been airlifted to Imphal while 15 other general duty companies have been asked to be in a state of readiness for deployment to the state.
About 15 companies of the CRPF are already available in Manipur for deployment, the sources said.
Violence broke in some parts of Manipur on Wednesday during the 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) in Torbung area of Churachandpur district to protest the demand of non-tribal Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley, for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Thousands of agitators took part in the rally, during which clashes between tribals and non-tribals broke out, a senior police officer said.
Police fired several rounds of tear gas shells to control the situation, the officer said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
