Over 40 Students Injured in Manipur After Clashes with Police During Protest

Imphal: More than 40 students were injured on Tuesday after clashes erupted between them and security forces during a march towards the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, police reported. The protesters, primarily students and women, were demanding the removal of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the state’s security advisor over their alleged failure to manage the law and order situation in Manipur.

The march, which began from BT Road, was stopped by security forces near Congress Bhavan. According to cops, the agitators hurled stones and glass marbles at the security personnel, leading them to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.

In a separate protest, Manipur University students staged a rally and burned an effigy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They later attempted to march towards the state secretariat but were stopped by security forces in Kakwa, Imphal West district.

Following the unrest, the government imposed an indefinite curfew in Imphal East and West districts, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of the BNSS were enforced in Thoubal.

The state has also suspended internet services for five days to prevent the spread of hate speech and inflammatory content on social media, according to a notification from the state home department.

Additionally, the central government has ordered the deployment of two more battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), consisting of around 2,000 personnel, to bolster security in the ethnically strife-ridden state.