Amit Shah reviews security situation in Manipur

Amit Shah reviews Manipur's security, urging the CM to tackle drug cartels and aid displaced communities after ethnic violence.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in Manipur on Friday (March 20, 2026) where he directed Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to crack down on drug cartels and prioritise the resettlement of thousands of people displaced after ethnic violence erupted in the State on May 3, 2023, a government source said.

The meeting, the first since President’s Rule was revoked in the State, was convened in a hybrid mode with the Chief Minister joining virtually from Imphal. He was accompanied by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and senior officers, including Director General of Police Rajiv Singh.

The Manipur government was asked to submit a detailed plan to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to combat drug smuggling.

During the meeting, the State administration was asked to expedite the recovery of looted police weapons. More than 6,000 police weapons were looted in 2023 and more than half have been recovered by the security agencies.

The ongoing tension between the Kuki and the Tangkhul Nagas in Manipur’s Ukhrul district was also discussed. The Litan area of Ukhrul district has witnessed a wave of violence and arson since February 7, three days after the new Chief Minister was installed.

To revive economy in the strife-torn State, the administration was reportedly asked by the Home Minister to identify sick industrial units and prepare a road map for their revival.