Manipur chief secretary Prashant Kumar Singh on Sunday said seven days are sufficient if one decides to surrender illegal weapons. “It can be done in a day. Once the governor’s ultimatum expires, we will find and take it (weapons),” he said at an event in Imphal East.
Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had on Feb 20 issued an ultimatum to the people of the state to surrender illegally held weapons within seven days.
At least 30 weapons looted from security forces were turned in on Saturday. The looting of arms from troops has been a persistent issue in Manipur since the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023.The chief secretary said illegal weapons in the hands of public or private pose serious dangers, and therefore, recovering them promptly and peacefully is imperative.
Highlighting the priority of restoring peace and normalcy, Singh assured security deployments on the state’s highways are being reinforced with additional forces.