Manipur violence: Ban on internet services extended till June 20

Digital Desk: The ban on internet services in the state of Manipur was extended by the government on Thursday for an additional five days, till June 20.

The Commissioner (Home Department) has extended the suspension of internet services, including broadband services, until 3 p.m. on June 20. Manipur citizens have been without internet for more than a month due to the most recent restrictions on the internet.

The internet was initially banned in the northeastern state when fighting broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities following the All-Tribal Students Union's (ATSU) call for a "Tribal Solidarity March" in Manipur in opposition to the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

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The letter extending the internet ban till June 20 stated, "To thwart the design and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements and to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state, it has become necessary to take adequate measures to maintain law and order in the public interest, by stopping the spread of disinformation through various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc."

In Manipur, where violence first started more than a month ago, at least 100 people were killed and 310 more were injured.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) assembled an SIT of 10 people to look into the state's violent crime under the supervision of a DIG-rank officer.

A three-member Commission of Inquiry led by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba will oversee the CBI's investigation. Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, visited the violent state after the commission was established.

Additionally, the federal government established a peace commission under the leadership of Governor Anusuiya Uikey of Manipur. The chief minister, state ministers, MPs, MLAs, and representatives from various political parties are among the committee's members.