Arrest Of Arambai Tenggol's Leader Sparks Unrest In Manipur, Biren Singh Summoned To Delhi

Last Updated:June 11, 2025, 07:00 IST

Manipur's caretake CM N Biren Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and their meeting lasted over an hour, focusing on the tensions in Manipur and urgency of the situation

A road leading to Imphal is blocked by residents amid ongoing protests near Imphal. (Image: PTI)

The arrest of a key leader of the Meitei organisation, Arambai Tenggol, has triggered fresh unrest in Manipur. In response, Chief Minister N Biren Singh — serving in caretaker capacity — was summoned to New Delhi for crucial meetings with the central leadership.

According to sources, Biren Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah late on Monday (June 9). The meeting reportedly lasted more than an hour and focused on the ongoing tensions in Manipur. A second round of discussions took place on Tuesday, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

Experts said the back-to-back meetings within 24 hours reflect the central government’s intent to restore peace in the violence-hit state. It should be noted that Arambai Tenggol announced that it will relax its 10-day Manipur bandh call given three days ago to protest the arrest of its senior leader — a move seen by many as a result of behind-the-scenes efforts toward de-escalation.

Sources told News18 that the Centre has made it clear that peace in Manipur is a top priority and that any further violence is unacceptable. Singh has reportedly been instructed to focus all efforts on restoring calm and engaging with community leaders to facilitate dialogue, they said.

Following Monday night’s meeting, Singh is said to have reached out to various community representatives to initiate peace-building measures. His outreach appears to have been effective, with Arambai Tenggol calling off their strike.

The restoration of peace and the initiation of dialogue are the government’s primary objectives and, only once there is stability on the ground, will it consider lifting President’s Rule in the state.

While a group of BJP MLAs recently met with the Manipur governor to discuss government formation, there has been no substantial progress on that front. For now, the focus remains on bringing normalcy back to the region, with sources saying Singh has been instructed to make all efforts toward achieving peace.

Imphal, India, India

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