As the Maharashtra Assembly election campaign enters its final phase, all political parties are ramping up their efforts, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaving no stone unturned. However, in a sudden development on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelled his scheduled visit to Maharashtra, where he was set to address four rallies.
Amit Shah has returned to Delhi in light of the deteriorating security situation in Manipur, where tensions remain high following a wave of violent incidents linked to the killing of six civilians, including three women and children, in Jiribam district.
Amit Shah was scheduled to campaign in Katol and Saoner (Nagpur district), as well as Gadchiroli and Wardha districts. These events were part of the BJP’s election strategy to secure a strong foothold in the region. However, the BJP’s Vidarbha organisational secretary confirmed that Shah cancelled his rallies and returned to Delhi, citing administrative obligations.
In Shah’s absence, senior BJP leaders including Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former minister Smriti Irani will take over the responsibility of addressing the rallies. This strategic shift was confirmed by the party leadership.
Fresh violence in Manipur
The fresh incidents of violent protests took place on Saturday night even as indefinite curfew was clamped after people, agitated by the killing of three women and children each by militants in Jiribam district, attacked the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs earlier on Saturday.
Enraged people torched the houses of PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam at Ningthoukhong, Hiyanglam’s BJP MLA Y Radheshyam at Langmeidong Bazar, Wangjing Tentha’s BJP MLA Paonam Brojen in Thoubal district and Khundrakpam’s Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar in Imphal East district, the officials said.
Amid the rising violence in Manipur, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has voiced his concerns, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state and take steps to restore peace. Gandhi expressed his deep concern on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“The recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur is deeply disturbing. After more than a year of division and suffering, it was the hope of every Indian that the Central and State governments would have made every effort at reconciliation and found a solution. I urge the PM once again to visit Manipur and work towards restoring peace and healing in the region.”
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