Imphal/New Delhi:

Three members of an insurgent group were arrested after a gunfight in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district today, the police said in a statement. Three military-grade assault rifles and over 1,300 bullets were seized from them, the police said, adding they launched the operation based on information given by the anti-terror body National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Police sources told NDTV the security forces came under heavy fire, due to which they had to retaliate with “maximum restraint”.

The NIA has been looking into a transnational conspiracy by insurgents and terrorist groups to exploit the Manipur situation and spread terror in the state bordering Myanmar, where the junta is fighting pro-democracy insurgents.

Following the operation by a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police, members of the Kuki tribes came out in huge numbers in protest against the Superintendent of Police (SP).

The protesters demanded the security forces to release the three men, claiming they were “village defence volunteers”.

The police in the statement warned against spreading disinformation about the joint operation on social media.

Village Volunteers With Assault Rifles? What Cops Say

Police sources told NDTV the two AK series and a Myanmar-origin assault rifles seized from the three men indicate the suspects are not those who are commonly known as “village defence volunteers”, as the “volunteers” mostly carry licenced single-barrel guns, primarily for hunting. “The operation was based on NIA’s inputs. We are looking at many connected cases,” a senior officer said on phone from Kangpokpi, requesting anonymity. 

“Various unfounded allegations and inciting messages regarding the conduct of the operation are doing rounds in social media. It is hereby appealed to stop propagation of such fake messages. Postings of such baseless allegations upon the security forces and inciting the public wrongly in social media will face legal action,” the police said in a post on X.

On 09.07.2024, joint security forces (SF) of Manipur Police and CRPF launched an operation in L. Hengjol village, New Keithelmanbi PS, Kangpokpi District at around 0330 hrs on the basis of an intelligence shared by NIA. There was an exchange of firing between the SF and armed… pic.twitter.com/4NGNEUJXjW

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) July 9, 2024

The operation to arrest the three armed insurgents began at 3.30 am on Tuesday. The three arrested men have been handed over to the NIA, the police said.

“Security forces exercised maximum restraint in the conduct of the operation and acted in self-defence when they were fired upon by the armed militants and obstructed by civilians,” the police said.

Kuki groups have called a 12-hour bandh in protest against the action by the security forces.

The ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

Armed people on both sides call themselves “village defence volunteers”, a definition of the belligerents that has become the most controversial since nothing stops these “volunteers” from killing people under the insurance provided by “in self-defence”.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administrative carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

Imphal:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had a message of “peace” for the people of Manipur after he visited relief camps in the violence-hit state. “I want to tell Manipur, I come here as your brother. I want to work with you to bring back peace in Manipur,” he said.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, while addressing a press briefing, claimed that there was not much improvement in the situation in the state: “It’s the third time I have come here since the problem started and it has been a tremendous tragedy. I expected some improvement in the situation but was disappointed to see no marked improvement.”

Rahul Gandhi landed at the Imphal airport this afternoon and visited the relief camps in Jiribam and Churachandpur districts and offered support to the victims of violence there.

He also called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey during his visit. “We had a conversation with the Governor and we expressed to the Governor that we would like to help in whatever way we can. We also expressed our displeasure and we said that we are not happy with the progress that has taken place here,” Mr Gandhi said.

“I don’t want to politicise the issue,” he insisted.

He will stay in Imphal tonight and hold meetings with Manipur leaders. 

This was Mr Gandhi’s third visit to the state and first after the Lok Sabha elections, in which the Congress won both constituencies in the ethnic violence-hit state.

His first visit to take stock of the situation in the hill state came nearly two months after the violence when he visited Churachandpur, one of the worst-hit districts in the Manipur ethnic strife.

Mr Gandhi’s next visit came during the second leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress kicked off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur with a promise to “bring peace and harmony” to the ethnic violence-hit state.

Manipur’s two Lok Sabha MPs – Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (Inner Manipur) and Alfred Kanngam S Arthur (Outer Manipur (ST) – and other senior party leaders including AICC General Secretary, KC Venugopal were accompanying Rahul Gandhi.

During his visit, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF)  urged Mr Gandhi for an immediate political solution to the ethnic hostilities.

People displaced by the ethnic violence in the northeastern state, which claimed over 200 lives since May last year, are staying in those relief camps.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today visited a relief camp in Manipur for people displaced by the ethnic violence in the northeastern state. Several videos and photos showed the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha interacting with people in the camp in Tuibong village in Churachandpur district.

He was also seen greeting the local leaders, workers and volunteers outside the camp.

LoP Shri @RahulGandhi visits a relief camp in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, where thousands of violence-hit people have taken refuge. pic.twitter.com/iBMWFrmL3S

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 8, 2024

LoP Shri @RahulGandhi visits a relief camp in Tuibong village of Manipur and interacts with displaced families affected by the violence.

Churachandpur, Manipur pic.twitter.com/W97Efl5Q8M

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 8, 2024

Rahul Gandhi, who arrived at the Imphal airport this afternoon, visited the Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp earlier today and offered support to the victims of violence there.

Hours before his visit, suspected insurgents fired at an armoured vehicle of the security forces in Jiribam this morning.

“LoP Rahul Gandhi visits Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp, meets victims of violence and offers support in their darkest hour. His third visit to Manipur post-violence shows his unwavering commitment to the people’s cause,” the Congress said in a post on X.

Mr Gandhi is scheduled to call on Governor Anusuiya Uikey at 5.30 pm after which he will address a press conference at the Manipur Congress office at 6.15 pm.

Congress legislature party leader O Ibobi Singh said, “Mr Gandhi visited the state twice since the outbreak of the violence on May 3 last year. He has visited relief camps to learn about the pains and sorrow of the people.”

This is Mr Gandhi’s third visit to the state and first, after the Lok Sabha elections, in which the Congress won both constituencies in the ethnic violence-hit state.

His first visit to take stock of the situation in the hill state came nearly two months after the violence when he visited Churachandpur, one of the worst-hit districts in the Manipur ethnic strife.

Mr Gandhi’s next visit came during the second leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress kicked off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur with a promise to “bring peace and harmony” to the ethnic violence-hit state.

Clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 last year to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence has claimed more than 180 lives and left thousands homeless.

Imphal/New Delhi:

Ten minutes before midnight on Monday, Manipur groups and channels on social media buzzed with messages with a link to Sansad TV’s YouTube channel – “oja wa ngag doure (professor is about to speak)”. They had been expecting Manipur Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam to speak for the first time in parliament – actually, any MP from the state to speak in the house after a long, long time.

Mr Akoijam, who teaches at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, found his turn at last after a day of high-decibel exchanges between the ruling National Democratic Alliance leaders and the Opposition.

“Keep your hands on your heart and think about the 60,000 people who are languishing in relief camps, and those mothers, those widows, think of them and then you talk about nationalism. Only then we will understand what this tragedy means,” Mr Akoijam said.

“The hurt, the anger has thrown a nobody like me to be a part of this temple of democracy, beating the BJP cabinet minister. Think about the pain,” he said, and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the Manipur ethnic violence.

Two days later, on Wednesday, PM Modi brought up the Manipur issue in the Rajya Sabha.

But before that, on Monday night, Manipur groups and channels on social media exploded with congratulatory messages – “We have sent the right person to parliament. Oja hasn’t disappointed us.”

“It was a goosebump moment for everyone back in Manipur. Oja’s ‘a nobody like me’ comment hit people hard because he was, indeed, a nobody in politics before this election,” an aide of the Inner Manipur constituency told NDTV, requesting anonymity.

Manipur Issues In Parliament

Manipur groups say though Mr Akoijam’s “fiery speech” took everyone by surprise, other MPs from Manipur before him had also raised issues in parliament critical to the state in the last five years, and in the preceding years, albeit in a much lower decibel.

Former Inner Manipur BJP MP Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, for example, had fiercely opposed including Manipur under the Citizenship Amendment Act when the bill had come up for discussion. “… If this law is enacted [in Manipur too], there will be a huge influx of migrants into the state. Supporting the sentiment of my people, I strongly demand the exemption of this law from Manipur…” Mr Ranjan had said in parliament in November 2019. Eventually, CAA was exempted from all states in the northeast.

Many young people who had volunteered for Mr Akoijam’s campaign said they never believed he would win. A lot of them worked day jobs, and came from other cities at their own expense. But after the professor defeated BJP candidate and state Education Minister T Basanta Kumar Singh by over one lakh votes, a wave of discussions began on Manipur online forums where people talked about selecting more “nobodies” in the assembly election due in 2027.

“The new-generation civil society organisations are not weighed down by legacy issues and compulsion, political or otherwise, and so are able to voice the concerns of the common people in Manipur,” a key member of a media-savvy civil society group that worked for Mr Akoijam’s campaign told NDTV.

Mr Akoijam peppered his short but loud and intense speech with references to what he claimed was a perception that the northeast, especially Manipur, has been a neglected region. The proof, the Inner Manipur Congress MP said, was right in front of the public: “I must remind the house that each and every square centimetre of Manipur is covered by central forces; it is one of the most militarised areas of this country where you have more armed policemen than the civil police, besides the armed forces of the Union. Despite this, how is it that 60,000 people were rendered homeless and villages in thousands were destroyed?”

PM Modi Responds

PM Modi – speaking on the Manipur crisis for the first time in parliament – launched a scathing attack on the Opposition for “politicising” the sensitive issue, and said the Centre is committed to bringing normalcy in the state. Violence has been declining and schools have reopened in most parts of the state, he told the Rajya Sabha.

In a sharp rejoinder to the Congress, PM Modi said the state had seen President’s rule 10 times in the past. “Those who are raking up the issue 1720040757 had abandoned it. One day, Manipur will reject you,” the Prime Minister said.

Soon after PM Modi’s speech, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh of the ruling BJP in a post on X said the crisis that Manipur is seeing today is not the first the state has gone through. “A situation like this has happened in Manipur in 1993 and the unrest lasted for five years…” Mr Singh said, alluding to the Naga-Kuki clashes that killed nearly 700 people.

Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh in a post on X said Mr Akoijam did not address the “core issues of illegal immigrants, SoO, and NRC, among others”, referring to the controversial tripatriate suspension of operations (SoO) agreement signed between the Centre, state and 25-odd Kuki insurgent groups, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) which should contain the names of only Indian citizens, which will help identify and deport illegal immigrants.

The BJP MLA, who’s the son-in-law of the Chief Minister, faced criticism from a section of people in Manipur over what they claimed was unhelpful comments at a time when any leader from the crisis-hit state talking in parliament about what’s going on back home should be given non-partisan support.

Manipur’s other MP is Alfred Kanngam Arthur, who won from the Outer Manipur (Scheduled Tribes) seat.

The ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administrative carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court Wednesday took a strong note of an undertrial prisoner lodged in a Manipur jail not being taken to a hospital for treatment just because he belonged to the minority ‘Kuki’ community, saying it does not “trust the State”.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan made some strong observations against the State while hearing a plea filed by Lunkhongam Haokip that he was suffering from piles and tuberculosis and was not taken to hospital by jail officials despite having severe backache.

“We do not trust the State…The accused was not taken to hospital because he is from the Kuki community. So sad! We direct him to be examined now. If the medical report reveals something serious, we will take you to task,” the bench said.

The counsel for Mr Haokip claimed the jail officials did not pay heed to persistent requests for medical help.

The bench perused an order of the Manipur High Court and found that the undertrial prisoner was not taken to hospital since he was from Kuki community and “shifting him to a hospital will be hazardous taking into account the law and order situation”.

Manipur has been in the grip of an ethnic conflict between the minority Kuki and majority Meitei communities.

The bench directed the jail superintendent and the state authorities “to make necessary arrangements for his transportation to the Gauhati Medical College and get him examined therein. The medical exam shall be as regards piles, TB, tonsillitis, abdominal pain as well as problems in lower lumbar spine”.

It sought a detailed medical report on or before July 15 and asked the state to bear all the expenses, including the treatment cost.

Manipur descended into chaos and violence in May last year over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

More than 170 people have been killed and several hundred others injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 last year when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for ST status.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Lok Sabha witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and the opposition during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address. The claims, counterclaims, and interjections all point towards a confrontational atmosphere in the 18th Lok Sabha, perhaps shaped by changes in its composition.

From 2019 to 2024, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and friendly parties held a significant lead of around 300 MPs over the INDIA bloc and opposition. However, this session saw the margin narrowing to just 60 MPs. The verbal sparring between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi turned acrimonious and personal, reflecting the recently concluded election campaign dynamics and entrenched positions.

Both Congress And BJP Remain Steadfast

While the Congress aims to sustain momentum, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains resolute not to concede further ground. The shift in strength, allocation of time for parties, and the calibre of speakers on both sides will significantly influence proceedings over the next five years. During the recent Motion of Thanks debate, Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of the Opposition, spoke for nearly an hour and 40 minutes out of the allotted 16 hours – roughly 15% of the total time allotted to the opposition.

Time allocations are based on Lok Sabha strength. During the No Confidence Motion of August 2023, the BJP received around 45% of the time, while the Congress’ share was just 18% With the BJP’s friendly parties (the Biju Janata Dal, the YSR Congress Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party) losing ground in recent elections, their allocation has shifted notably to opposition parties.

Also Read | ‘Hug, Wink In Parliament’: PM Modi’s Dig At Rahul Gandhi

Some prominent speakers from the treasury benches, such as Smriti Irani, were notably absent. Conversely, the presence of parties like the Samajwadi Party (SP) has bolstered the opposition, particularly with effective speakers in fluent Hindi. Akhilesh Yadav’s speech, noted for its sarcasm without overt anger, followed Rahul’s assertive tone.

Rahul’s Performance As LoP

During Monday’s session, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, highlighting issues including inflation, unemployment, NEET, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, the Agniveer scheme, and Hindutva, aiming to put the government on the defensive. Top ministers, including the Prime Minister, intervened during Rahul’s speech.

While Rahul addressed critical issues, some noted the absence of specific data and figures in his speech. There is already an ongoing debate over Rahul’s performance in his role as Leader of the Opposition, with supporters arguing his assertiveness marks a significant political presence that cannot be ignored.

Not new to controversy, Rahul made a reference to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), stating, that those who called themselves Hindu only talked about violence, hatred, and untruth. PM Modi rebutted instantly.

Also Read | “Every MP’s Right”: Rahul Gandhi Questions Expunging Of Parts Of Speech

References in Rahul’s speech to to Hinduism and violence, two prominent industrialists, the Agnipath scheme, and NEET, were expunged. The LoP subsequently wrote to the Speaker questioning the decision and demanding the restoration of his remarks in parliamentary records.

Modi’s Address

On Tuesday, PM Modi delivered the concluding remarks on the Motion of Thanks in the Lok Sabha. His speech, lasting around 2.5 hours, was a scathing attack on the Congress and Rahul. Throughout his address, the opposition shouted slogans, prompting Modi to use headphones to counter the noise. Despite the interruptions, Modi’s speech, though not entirely audible, gave enough hints of the things to come in the next five years.

Modi criticised the opposition’s maturity level, noting that while the treasury benches listened to Rahul’s speech with interjections rather than shouting slogans, the opposition did not afford the same respect to the Prime Minister. Expressing displeasure at the sloganeering, Modi referred to Rahul as “balak buddhi” (childish) and mocked how a party celebrating 99 out of 543 seats was acting as if it had won 99 out of 100. He criticised the Congress party’s promise of transferring Rs. 1 lakh to women’s bank accounts, highlighting the public’s scepticism about similar promises made earlier.

Modi accused Rahul of resorting to drama to garner sympathy, pointing out his bail status in alleged financial misconduct.

Overall, the debate was disappointing for both the opposition and the ruling party. BJP leaders neglected discussion around their agenda for the next five years, while the opposition failed to engage in constructive criticism and effectively address issues like NEET. Both sides instead resorted to mudslinging, seemingly forgetting that the elections were over.

The session’s outcome suggests the potential for more disruptions and chaos in Parliament. Both sides must reconcile with the electoral mandate and strive for a fresh start in the upcoming Budget session.

(Amitabh Tiwari is a political strategist and commentator. In his earlier avatar, he was a corporate and investment banker.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav along with director Zoological Survey of India Dhriti Banerjee and Director Botanical Survey of India A.A. Mao during an event to release animal and plant discoveries 2023

A new species of turmeric in Manipur and a new kind of bat in Karnataka are among the plant and animal species which were discovered in India in 2023, according to data released by Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Sunday.

These are among the 641 new species added to Indian fauna in 2023, including 442 entirely new species and 199 species which have been newly recorded in the country. India also added 339 taxa to its plant database, including 326 species, and 13 infraspecific taxa. Of these, 171 taxa are new to science and 168 taxa are new distributional records from India. A taxa can refer to a sub-species or variety of a plant species.

Among the new plant discoveries in 2023 were Curcuma kakchingense, a new species of turmeric found in Manipur’s Kakching, and Asystasia venui, a flowering plant discovered in the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden at Howrah in West Bengal.

Significant animal discoveries include Capra himalayensis, which proves that the Himalayan Ibex, distributed in the trans-Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, is a distinct species from the Siberian Ibex. Miniopterus srinii, a new species of bent-winged bat was also found in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.

Kerala tops list

Most of the new animal discoveries were reported from southern India. Kerala topped the list, with 101 additions (74 completely new species, 27 new records), followed by West Bengal with 72 new species, and Tamil Nadu with 64.

The vast majority of these new discoveries among fauna have been recorded in the invertebrate category, which saw 564 new species in 2023; only 77 vertebrate species, of which the majority were fish species, were discovered in 2023.

“The trend of new discoveries in different groups remains same like previous years, with Insects dominating among invertebrates with 369 species, whereas Fishes with 47 species dominated among vertebrates followed by Reptiles, Amphibia, Mammals and least with Aves,” said Animal Discoveries 2023, an annual publication by the Zoological Survey of India, an premier institution dealing with animal taxonomy which completed 109 years on Sunday.

New wild plants

West Bengal recorded the highest number of new plant discoveries, with 52 new taxa, followed by Kerala and Uttarakhand. New discoveries include wild relatives of many potential horticultural, agricultural, medicinal, and ornamental plants such as begonias, impatiens or balsams, legumes, zingibers, and orchids, according to Plant Discoveries 2023, an annual publication by the Botanical Survey of India, a premier institution which has been working on plant taxonomy for about 120 years.

“This volume records 106 angiosperms, 2 Pteridophytes, 16 Bryophytes, 44 lichens, 111 fungi, 50 algae and 10 microbes. The hotspot regions such as Western Ghats, and North Eastern Regions have contributed 14% of total discoveries,” the publication said.

Exhaustive checklist

Apart from these publications, the Environment Minister also rolled out the ‘Fauna of India Checklist Portal’, a first of its kind. It comprises 121 checklists of all known taxa, covering 36 phyla, and providing information on all the 1,04,561 animal species distributed across India. Endemic, threatened, and scheduled species have also been included in the list.

Citing research showing that specific trees growing in specific areas is not accidental as they interact with their environment through specialised characteristics, Mr. Yadav emphasised the importance of conserving not just threatened species, but also bio-geographic zones across the country.

Imphal:

On rumors about a possible leadership change in crisis-hit Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that it was not in his hands and his focus is on solving the problem in the state.

“Staying on as Chief Minister or resigning is not in my hands,” Mr Singh told NDTV amid reports that a section of MLAs from his party and its allies are pushing for his removal.

Speculations about a leadership change have been rife since the BJP lost both seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress candidates wrested the seats from the ruling BJP and its ally Naga People’s Front (NPF).

Mr Singh attributed the Lok Sabha mandate to a “rebellious situation” and acknowledged public anger over his handling of the crisis.

“BJP’s vote percentage is not low. What we expected, we got. This time we got more votes than last time but lost due to the rebelling situation,” he said.

“I know people are angry with me for our handling of the situation. We accept it. The situation is very complex. We are not fighting with an identified enemy,” the Chief Minister added.

Tensions heightened in Manipur after ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kukis erupted on May 3 last year, yet previous attempts to sway the party leadership have failed to yield results. Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester.

The Kuki groups are now demanding a separate Union Territory, a demand that Mr Singh downplayed.

“Out of 16 districts, disturbance is only 2-3 districts. The crisis is not that big. There is public unrest, but I can proudly say that schools, business and traffic are working well,” he told NDTV.

“Manipur is 2000 years old, and is now a proud state of India. Demand is a demand, but it cannot happen,” he added.

Mr Singh also said that the Manipur issue is on the priority list of the new central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition in the Parliament, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293.

Imphal:

Even as the whispers about a possible leadership change in Manipur continue to get louder, Chief Minister Biren Singh has admitted that some MLAs from his party and its allies are in Delhi, but rubbished talk of their visit having anything to do with his resignation.

Over the past few days, there have been reports that a section of MLAs from the BJP and its allies, Naga People’s Front (NPF), National People’s Party (NPP) and JDU, are pushing for the chief minister to step down. 

Sources said that efforts to convince the BJP leadership to replace Mr Singh have been mounted several times since he became the chief minister in 2017 and gathered steam after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 last year, but yielded no results. 

What’s different this time, however, is that the BJP has had to pay an electoral cost, having lost both of Manipur’s Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in the just-concluded polls.

On Friday, the chief minister said there had been a meeting with NDA allies – who have 53 of the state’s 60 Assembly seats between them, with the BJP alone accounting for 37 – the previous night, and it was decided that a memorandum for lasting peace in Manipur would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We also discussed going to Delhi for a courtesy call with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The MLAs entrusted me with getting the appointment, but since the Parliament is on and things are so hectic, I thought why should I disturb? When the meeting happens, I will also go. But some people have gone ahead. This has nothing to do with a resignation. Around 35 MLAs were present yesterday and we signed the memorandum,” Mr Singh said.

“We are also grateful to the PM and Mr Shah that they have put Manipur on their list of priorities for the first 100 days (of the new NDA term). Mr Shah has also held meetings with various agencies and our gratitude was part of the resolution,” he added. 

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293. 

The ‘Almost’ Resignation 

Last June, when the pressure on his government was near its peak, the chief minister had almost quit. A minister had claimed he has left for the governor’s house with his resignation, but had turned back because of a human chain formed by hundreds of women in his support outside his residence in Imphal. It had also been claimed that his resignation letter was snatched from two ministers and torn up by people who wanted Mr Singh to remain the chief minister.

The opposition had dubbed the entire sequence of events a carefully orchestrated drama. 

Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester. 

India’s captain Rohit Sharma and spinner Kuldeep Yadav celebrate a wicket during the semi-final match against England in the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024, at Providence Stadium in Guyana on June 28, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

INDIA bloc plans adjournment motions in both Houses of Parliament on NEET issue

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc will move adjournment motions in both the Houses of Parliament on June 28 over the alleged irregularities in the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) and paper leaks in other public exams. 

Rohit Sharma, spinners guide India to third T20 World Cup final

Skipper Rohit Sharma’s grace was matched by the might of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as India exorcised the ghosts of 2022 by handing defending champions England a 68-run thrashing to enter the final of the T20 World Cup in Georgetown on June 27.

Students protest at Jantar Mantar, want NTA dissolved

While the President addressed the NEET issue in Parliament on Thursday, only a few km away, Jantar Mantar saw back-to-back protests with students and youth leaders demanding the dissolving of the controversy-riddled National Testing Agency (NTA) and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Simultaneously, Congress-affiliated NSUI members marched to the NTA and demanded its closure, attempting to lock the office from outside.

CBI arrests two in Patna in NEET paper leak case

In its first arrests from Patna in the NEET-UG paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar into custody on Thursday. According to the agency, the accused played a crucial role in arranging to rent the Learn Boys Hostel and Play School in Patna’s Khemnichak locality, where the leaked question papers were allegedly distributed to the 20 to 25 candidates gathered there on the eve of the examination, so that they could memorise the answers overnight.

Plea in Supreme Court to stay implementation of new criminal laws

A petition was moved in the Supreme Court on June 27 seeking a stay on the implementation and operation of three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, scheduled to come into effect from July 1.

Manipur BJP president meets Amit Shah for ‘permanent solution’ to conflict in State

The chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Manipur met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday urging “immediate attention to bring permanent solution and tranquillity to the State”. A. Sharda Devi met Mr. Shah for “an extensive discussion on the current situation in Manipur”. Her three-year tenure as party president ended on Thursday.

President Murmu flags NEET, Emergency in address to Parliament, says government fully committed to investigating ‘paper leaks’

In her first address to Parliament since the Lok Sabha election results were announced, President Droupadi Murmu asked MPs to rise above “partisan politics” with regard to the row over “paper leaks” in examinations for medical college admissions and government recruitment. The Union government is “fully committed” to investigating the issues and punishing the guilty, she said.

AAP MP’s suspension revoked, six new members take oath in Rajya Sabha

Six newly-elected members of Parliament from Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh took oath as members of the Rajya Sabha on June 27. The Upper House held its first setting after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha on Thursday and it was first day of the 264th session of the Rajya Sabha. 

Pro-Israel posters pasted, black ink thrown outside Owaisi’s residence in Delhi

A group of five men pasted posters outside the residence of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in New Delhi on Thursday evening, demanding his suspension from the Lok Sabha, officials said. According to a police officer, four-five men reached Mr. Owaisi’s 34 Ashoka Road residence located in Central Delhi and pasted three posters at the entry gate and wall of the house about 9 p.m.

17 people arrested in attempted coup that shook Bolivia, government says

Bolivia’s government on Thursday announced that a total of 17 people have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the attempted coup that shook the economically troubled country the day before.

Prague-to-Budapest train collides with a bus in Slovakia, killing 5 people and injuring 5

A train travelling from the Czech capital of Prague to the Hungarian capital of Budapest collided with a bus in southern Slovakia on Thursday, leaving at least five people dead and five injured, officials said.

RBI unveils revised Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 27 said it with the concurrence of the Government of India has decided to put in place a revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries for the period 2024 to 2027. Under this Framework, the Reserve Bank would enter into bilateral swap agreements with SAARC central banks, who want to avail of the swap facility. 

UltraTech Cement acquires 23% stake in India Cements

Aditya Birla Group’s UltraTech Cement Ltd. announced it was making a non-controlling financial investment to pick up 23% equity stake in India Cements Ltd (ICL). Block deal data showed UltraTech initially bought 6.02 crore ICL shares, or 19.4% stake. Earlier in the day, UltraTech’s Board approved the purchase of up to 7.06 crore equity shares of ICL at up to ₹267 apiece.