'You Have 7 Days': Manipur Governor Issues Ultimatum to Militants

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu)- After the imposition of President's rule in Manipur, a statement has been issued by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. In this, all the communities of Manipur have been asked to surrender the looted and illegally kept weapons and ammunition within a week. The Governor has said that no legal action will be taken against anyone who returns the weapons within the deadline. It has also been said that if anyone keeps looted or illegal weapons even after the 7-day deadline, strict action will be taken against him.

Let us tell you that there has been ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki community in Manipur for the last 2 years. Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his cabinet ministers resigned from their posts on February 9, after which President's rule has been imposed in Manipur. The people of Manipur in both the valley and hill areas have faced immense difficulties for the last 20 months due to a series of unfortunate incidents affecting peace and communal harmony. In the larger interest of restoring normalcy, all the communities of the state should come forward to ensure the cessation of hostility and maintenance of peace and order in the society, so that people can return to their normal daily activities. Amid the leadership crisis in Manipur, all opposition parties including the Congress had demanded the imposition of President's rule in the state. According to the Constitution, there should not be a period of more than six months between two sessions of the Assembly. The last session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly was concluded on 12 August 2024, while the seventh session starting from February 10 has been adjourned by the Governor.

Three militants allegedly involved in extortion have been arrested in separate operations a few days ago in Imphal West district. On the other hand, security forces have destroyed six acres of illegal opium cultivation in Kangpokpi district. Let us tell you that after the imposition of President's rule, security agencies have been put on high alert to avoid any daring incident by banned terrorist organizations. Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh wrote in a social media post that the state administration is struggling to effectively deal with illegal infiltration since May 3, 2023