Prohibitory orders withdrawn from Manipur's Ukhrul District

The Manipur Government has withdrawn prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code on the town and district of Ukhrul, where two persons were killed in police firing during recent protests.

State Principal Secretary (Home) Dr. J. Suresh Babu said, "The state government reviewed the law and order situation in the town and it has significantly improved."

"Security forces deployed in Ukhrul will also be withdrawn gradually if there is further improvement. Meanwhile, the indefinite economic blockade called by the United Naga Council (UNC) from the fourth of this month on all national and state highways in the Naga inhabited areas of the state is still going on," he added.

The blockade had badly affected the transportation of essential commodities to the state through Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Silchar national highways. However, no report of any untoward incident has been reported.

The Manipur government had imposed prohibiting order code under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the clash with the protestors took place on August 30.

Both the UNC and the NSUD have been demanding the removal section 144, which they see it as a threat to their democratic right.