Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reviewed the security situation in Manipur, with a key focus on restoring normalcy and ensuring the surrender of illegal and looted arms held by various groups, sources said.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla is in New Delhi for the meeting. This was the first such high-level meeting since the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13, following the resignation of former Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The northeastern state has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 2023, which has claimed over 250 lives.

According to sources, the Home Minister was given a detailed briefing on the law-and-order situation in Manipur. The meeting primarily focused on efforts to return the state to its pre-May 2023 state of normalcy and accelerate the surrender of illicit weapons.

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, senior officials of the Manipur government, Army, and paramilitary forces attended the security review meeting.

The review comes in the wake of a February 20 ultimatum issued by the Governor, directing all individuals holding illegal or looted arms to surrender. Following the directive, more than 300 weapons were handed over by the public, primarily in the valley districts. Notably, Meitei radical group Arambai Tenggol surrendered 246 firearms.

In response to appeals from residents of both hill and valley areas for additional time, the Governor extended the surrender deadline until 4 PM on March 6.

The crisis in Manipur began nearly 22 months ago, with thousands of weapons looted from police armories during the initial phase of ethnic clashes. The security review underscores the government’s efforts to stabilize the state and recover stolen arms to prevent further violence.