Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Wednesday appealed to people to surrender weapons looted from security forces ওand warned of legal action against anyone found to be in unauthorised and illegal possession of arms and ammunition.
In a signed statement, the chief minister also appeale🌺d to all concerned in Manipur not to block roads and hinder the free movement of security personnel and relief material.
Such roadblocks were making it extremel🔯y difficult for security and police personnel to respond to attacks by armed groups on tim꧒e, Singh said.
"I appeal to all persons concerned to return and surrender the arms and ammunition whic💞h have been snatched from armed police ba♔ttalions, police stations, etc., in valley and hill districts to the nearest police station/MR/IRB, etc. at the earliest.
&🦂🧸quot;Legal action as per the Arms Act 1959 and Rules will be taken in case any person is found to be in unauthorised and illegal possession of arms and ammunition during combing operations by security personnel or otherwise," the chief minister said.
He said people are violating curfew restrictions and blocking roads at several locations, causing obstacles to the free movement of relief material for those in relief camps and also to the movement of security personnel to curb security🦂 thre🐭ats from illegal armed groups in conflict areas in the foothills and interiors of the state.
"Such roadblocks are increasing the hardship of our already traumatised people in relief camps, including pregnant women and young children by ha🌱lting the movement🦄 of health personnel, medicine, food, milk and water meant for them.
&quo🏅t;Such roadblocks are a༺lso making it extremely difficult for security and police personnel to respond to attacks by armed groups on time," the chief minister said.
Singh said that to save lives and property of innocent civilians, and ꦐto assuage the hardship faced in relief camps, "I appeal to the people of Manipur not to cause 𓄧roadblocks and hindrances on free movement of security personnel and relief material".
The appeal by the Manipur chief minister came amid the ongoing visit🌺 of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the stat🎀e.
On his third day of the tour, Shah held a review meeting in the border town of Moreh on Wednesday to take stock of the security situation in the northeast🐠ern state which has been witnessing sporadic violence for nearly a month.
The Union home minister reviewed the security situation in Manipur and mಌet with a delegation of the Kukis and a team representing the other communities. The representatives expressed their strong support for the government's initiatives to restore normalcy in Manipur.
On Tu෴esday, after meeting Shah in Imphal and Churachandpur, the Meitei and Kuki groups expressed their commitment to peace and assured ꦿthat they would work for restoring normalcy in the trouble-torn state.
Shah also held a security review meeting with senior officials of the Manipur Police, Central Armed P🧔olice Forces (CAPFs) and the Army ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚin Imphal on Tuesday.
He said peace and prosperity of Manipur are the government's top priꦫority and instructed them to strictly deal with any activities that disturb tranquillity.
This isཧ the first time the Union home minister is visiting Manipur since ethnic clashes erupted in 🎀the northeastern state on May 3.
The state on Sunday witnessed a sudden spurt in clas🐠hes and firing between militants and securit🌱y forces, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.
The death toll from cla🎀shes has gone up to 80, officials said.
The ethnic violence first broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March🔜' was organised in the hill districts 🗹on May 3 to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The violence was preceded by tension over the evic𓆏tion of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
-With PTI Input
