Amidst the ongoing tension in the violence-hit Manipur, the Indian Army has alerted about the fake video related to the security situation within the state, including a video of an attack on an Assam Rifles post, being circulated by “inimical elements for vested interests.”

Moreover, the state government has issued orders of “shoot at sight” as violence has now spread to its capital Imphal. Security has been strengthened with the deployment of 55 army columns. Almost 500 personnel of Rapid Action Force, a riot control police have also been flown in.

Army urges citizens not to fall into fake news

The Army urged citizens to rely only on content from official and verified sources as they might fall into the violence trap sweeping the northeastern state that saw mobs torch houses, shops and religious places, and even attack a sitting lawmaker in Imphal. Curfew has been imposed in eight districts amid the clashes. Mobile internet services have been suspended across the state. The government is yet to spell out the loss of lives and injured people in numbers.

Taking to Twitter, the SpearCorps.IndianArmy wrote, “Fake videos on the security situation in Manipur including a video of the attack on Assam Rifles post are being circulated by inimical elements for vested interests. Indian Army requests all to rely on content through official and verified sources only.”

How it all started?

On Wednesday, the first clash broke out in Manipur’s Churachandpur town after a tribal Kuki group called for protests against a proposed change to the state’s reservation matrix, granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to the majority Meitei community. Soon after the agitation, the violence quickly engulfed the state displacing thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods.

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Strict orders issued to tackle the worsening situation

Taking notes from the worsening situation, Governor Anusuiya Uikey has issued strict orders to tackle the worsening security situation. Also, a copy of the order signed by commissioner (home) T Ranjit Singh directed district magistrates, subdivisional magistrates, executive magistrates, and special executive magistrates to “issue shoot at sight orders in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force etc. had been exhausted under provisions of law…and the situation could not be controlled.”