Shah agrees to visit Manipur in October first week
IMPHAL, AUG 26: Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to visit restive Manipur in the first week of October this year during which he is stated to lay the foundation stone for a medical college in Senapati district.
The Union home minister agreed to visit the state in the first week of October during a meeting with Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh at New Delhi today.
Singh left Imphal for the national capital on Tuesday afternoon following a reported call from the Union home minister to hold talks on various issues facing the state.
Wednesday’s meeting between the Union home minister and the chief minister came amid the growing demand for updating the NRC before the census and the disruption to census related activities.
Besides, the state is witnessing fresh violence conflict between the Naga and the Kuki at a time the crisis involving Meitei and Kuki is yet to be resolved.
During the meeting, Shah assured the chief minister that the Central government will fulfill the wishes of the people of the state, the chief minister’s secretariat said in a release.
The release, however, did not give any further detail regarding the wishes of the people which are going to be fulfilled.
The chief minister also wrote in his social media handles regarding the meeting with the Union home minister and stated “We discussed a wide range of issues concerning Manipur.”
“The Hon’ble Home Minister assured me that the Central Government will fulfill the wishes and aspirations of the people of the State.”
Singh further wrote that he invited Amit Shah to visit the state in which he agreed to visit in the first week of October to lay the foundation stone for the new government medical college in Senapati district and to review other developmental projects in the state.
Notably, during a recent cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a proposal to set up a new medical college in the Senapati district which will be the second medical college after Churachandpur Medical College was approved in principle.
The Union home minister also lauded the state government for the recent successful resumption of the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati passenger service along NH-2. “Shri Amit Shah Ji gave a patient hearing to all the issues relating to the State and lauded our Government for successfully resuming the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati bus service and ensuring free movement along National Highway-2,” the chief minister’s post further read.
The chief minister’s secretariat, in the release, added that the chief minister called on the Union home minister at the official residence of the latter at New Delhi today, around 3 pm. After a patient hearing to all the issues relating to the state as raised by the chief minister, Shah informed the chief minister that the Central government will fulfill the aspirations of the people of Manipur.
The chief minister also met Union minister of minority and parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju at the latter’s official residence in New Delhi.
The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues concerning the state of Manipur, the chief minister’s secretariat said, in another release.
During the meeting, Singh requested the Union minister to help the development and welfare of minority communities in the state.
He also sought help from the Union ministry of minority affairs on various developmental projects.
The two leaders also discussed issues relating to the Manipur Assembly elections slated for early next year.
Rijiju assured the state chief minister that his ministry will provide all possible help to the state. The Union minister is a native of Arunachal Pradesh and has a close connection with Manipur, the release stated.
Earlier, state former chief minister N Biren Singh rushed to the national capital after he reportedly asked to do so by the Central leaders.
Another source in the state BJP said that chief minister Y Khemchand went to Delhi after seeking an appointment with the Union home minister to discuss several issues including the ongoing mass agitation for updating the NRC before census operations.
Notably, a group of MLAs from the ruling alliance including state home minister Govindas Konthoujam Singh are camping at Delhi to meet Central leaders of the BJP to present the case of NRC.
Meanwhile, protests demanding updating the NRC for the census exercise are going on in the state with sit-in-protests and torch rallies at various places. In the backdrop of escalating agitations, a three-day training programme for Census enumerators and supervisors scheduled to be held in Imphal’s GM Hall was cancelled.
The cancellation came as protests against the proposed Census intensified, with the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) and other CSOs maintaining that an NRC update should precede the Census.
The JFD has been raising the demand since April 8, 2025, and has recently stepped up its campaign through strikes and sustained protests.