"Army Not Involved": Defence Ministry Flags Misinformation In Manipur Reports Over Churachandpur Shutdown
Imphal/New Delhi:
The Defence Ministry has strongly criticised the local media in Manipur for carrying "misinformation" that the army was involved in an "agreement" which led to a Kuki group agreeing to call off an indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur district.
The Kuki group Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) had called the indefinite shutdown over the death of a woman after a gunfight between, according to the police, security forces and "unknown armed miscreants" in Langchingmanbi village on June 19.
The security forces began a search operation after a farmer from the Meitei community was shot at by "an unknown armed miscreant" while working in a paddy field near the foothills in Bishnupur district's Phubala, the police had said.
The security forces came under fire from "unknown armed miscreants" while they were combing through Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village, and the forces retaliated.
"During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was later identified as Hoikholhing, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi," the police said in a statement on June 19.
Incident Report: Shooting at Phubala and Subsequent Exchange of Fire
Today, at approximately 3:00 PM, one Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working in his paddy field at Phubala...
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 19, 2025
In protest over the death of the woman, the ITLF called the indefinite shutdown in Kuki-dominant Churachandpur district.
Churachandpur town (file)
ITLF Calls Of Indefinite Shutdown In Churachandpur: Report
The ITLF on Saturday announced it called off the indefinite shutdown, and the reason for it was that "an amicable solution" with the district administration has been reached under the "tribal customary law", news agency PTI reported.
"This is inform to the general public that an amicable solution has reached between the ITLF and district administration, Churachandpur, in connection with the loss of our beloved mother (late) Hoikholhing Haokip, chief of Langchingmanbi village, at ITLF office, Tuibong according to tribal customary law. Henceforth, the indefinite total shutdown imposed by ITLF in the district has been called off with immediate effect," the ITLF said in a statement, according to the PTI report.
Calls to the Churachandpur deputy commissioner, Dharun Kumar S, went unanswered.
CoTU Headlines "False And Baseless": Defence Spokesperson
A Defence Ministry spokesperson, referring to local media reports that cited another Kuki group Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), said the army "is neither involved nor has made any agreement, as mentioned in reports."
"Such misinformation harms peace process - media is urged to verify with authorised sources, before publishing," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson referred to reports in the local media headlined 'COTU Calls Off Shutdown' and 'Shutdown Over Langchingmanbi Killing Called Off' that were published in some local newspapers on June 22 as "false and baseless".
🚫 Reports titled 'COTU Calls off Shutdown' & "Shutdown over Langchingmanbi Killing Called Off" published on 22 Jun 202 5 in a few of the local newspapers in #Manipur are false & baseless.
🔴 The #IndianArmy is neither involved, nor has made any agreement, as mentioned in... pic.twitter.com/ZcUnTx5K7P
— PRO Defence, Manipur, Nagaland & South Arunachal (@prodefkohima) June 22, 2025
Over 260 people have been killed and thousands have been displaced in the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence that began in May 2023.
The Centre imposed President's rule after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned in February. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Religious Sites In Mumbai Now "Loudspeaker-Free": Top Cop
Mumbai: Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti on Saturday asserted that the city is now entirely free of directional loudspeakers after its personnel successfully completed a comprehensive crackdown on public address systems at all religious structures. "All loudspeakers from religious structures have been removed. Mumbai is now loudspeaker-free from all religious structures," Bharti told PTI. The police commissioner, refuting claims of selective targeting, made it clear that religious structures of a particular community had not been singled out and stressed that the operation was conducted methodically, in line with the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's directive for proper and non-arbitrary action. "We engaged in deliberations with community and religious leaders and also political party leaders and prevailed upon them," Bharti explained, highlighting the collaborative approach taken before implementing the measures. This action follows an order issued by the Bombay High Court in January this year, in which the police were directed to take prompt action against loudspeakers violating noise pollution norms and rules. The high court reiterated that the use of loudspeakers is not considered an essential part of any religion. Commenting about the scale of the operation, the police chief said, "We have removed around 1,500 directional loudspeakers from religious structures across the city. The police will also ensure that such loudspeakers are not put up again." While the ban on permanent loudspeakers is now in effect, the police commissioner clarified that temporary permissions for the use of loudspeakers will be granted during religious festivals. The high court, in its order, had noted that noise was a major health hazard and no one can claim that their rights are affected in any manner if he or she is denied permission to use loudspeakers. Mumbai was a cosmopolitan city, and obviously, there were persons of different religions in every part of the city, the court had said. The court order was passed on a petition by two housing associations from suburban Kurla - Jaago Nehru Nagar Residents Welfare Association and Shivsrushti Co-op. Housing Societies Association Ltd. - alleging police inaction against noise pollution caused by loudspeakers installed on masjids in the area. The petitioners contended that the use of loudspeakers for religious purposes, including the recitation of 'Azaan,' disturbed the peace and violated the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, as well as provisions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Delhi To See Its First-Ever Artificial Rain To Combat Air Pollution In July
New Delhi: In a first for the national capital, Delhi is set to witness artificial rain aimed at reducing air pollution, with cloud seeding scheduled between July 4 and 11, subject to weather conditions, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday. The flight plan for the seeding operation has been submitted by IIT Kanpur to IMD Pune for technical coordination, Sirsa told PTI. "Conditions are not suitable for cloud seeding until July 3, but a flight window has been proposed between July 4 and 11," Sirsa said. He added that a proposal has also been sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), requesting an alternative window in case the weather remains unfavourable during the scheduled period so that the trial can be conducted at a later date. "This initiative marks a historic step in urban pollution control and is being carried out for the first time by the Environment Department under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's leadership," Sirsa said. "Our aim is to give Delhiites clean air," he emphasised, asserting that it's the most basic right of every resident, and the government is exploring every possible solution to achieve it. "That's why we're taking this bold step of artificial rain. We are hopeful it will bring meaningful change," he added. In response to the accusations from AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday, who claimed that the BJP and the Centre hindered the city's pollution-control efforts and mocked the proposal for artificial rain during peak winter pollution, Sirsa clarified, "We were the ones who signed the MoU first, made all the payments to IIT Kanpur, and applied for the necessary approvals because we want to take real action." "They didn't do anything except talk about artificial rain. We, on the other hand, have worked sincerely. That's why, within just four months of forming the government, we are at the stage of finalising the date for Delhi's first artificial rain," he added. The project, titled 'Technology Demonstration and Evaluation of Cloud Seeding as an Alternative for Delhi NCR Pollution Mitigation,' will involve five aircraft sorties over low-security air zones in northwest and outer Delhi. Each sortie, lasting around 90 minutes, will cover approximately 100 square kilometres, dispersing a scientifically formulated seeding mixture using flare-based systems on modified Cessna aircraft. The formulation, developed by IIT Kanpur, includes silver iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt, designed to catalyse artificial rain by accelerating droplet formation in moisture-rich clouds.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Meet Parag Jain, the new R&AW chief who palyed key role in Operation Sindoor
Parag Jain NEW DELHI: Parag Jain, a seasoned intelligence officer credited with masterminding the high-stakes Operation Sindoor, has been appointed the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, with his two-year tenure set to begin on July 1, a day after incumbent Ravi Sinha retires. Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Punjab cadre, is widely regarded as an expert in both human and technical intelligence. According to the official government order, 'The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Parag Jain, IPS to the post of Secretary, Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) under Cabinet Secretariat for a tenure of two years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post until further orders, whichever is earlier. ..' Before this, he headed the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), an elite wing known for its work in aerial surveillance, SIGINT (signals intelligence), PHOTINT (photo reconnaissance), IMINT (imagery intelligence), and border monitoring. His operational depth and leadership were most recently seen in the planning and intelligence behind Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, on May 7. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tripura Mosquito Crisis Solved by Strange New Device (See How) Mosquito Eliminator Read More Undo Officials told PTI that 'the missile strikes were guided by pinpointed intelligence gathered by a team led by Jain.' His command over HUMINT and TECHINT integration was instrumental in enabling the armed forces to carry out precision strikes across the Line of Control. Jain's operational experience in Kashmir makes him an ideal fit to deal with Pakistan's attempts to revive cross-border terror infrastructure. His involvement during the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir was significant, particularly in security coordination. Apart from domestic intelligence, Jain has served at Indian missions abroad — in Sri Lanka and Canada. In Canada, he monitored the activities of Khalistani terror modules operating from foreign soil, further strengthening his credentials as a neighbourhood specialist. He was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab on January 1, 2021, though he was on central deputation at the time. During the height of terrorism in Punjab, Jain served as SSP and DIG in multiple districts, contributing to critical counter-insurgency operations. With a reputation as a no-nonsense operator in the intelligence community, Jain now takes charge at a time when India's external security challenges — from Pakistan and China to cross-border terror financing and transnational extremist networks — demand sharp strategic responses. (With inputs form news agency PTI)
