Chief of Indian Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi who is on a two-day visit to the state arrived in Imphal on Friday to monitor the security measures implemented by the security forces in vulnerable areas of Manipur.
He arrived at Bir Tikendrajit Imphal International Airport around 10 am and was transported to Inspector General Assam Rifles (IGAR) (South) by chopper.
Around 5 pm on Friday evening, he met with Chief Minister N Biren Singh at his residential office in Imphal.
The Manipur CM shared the meeting on social media with photographs with a post, “Had a productive meeting with General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff, along with Lieutenant General RC Tiwari, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Abhijit S. Pendharkar, General Officer Commanding 3 Corps, and Major General Ravroop Singh, Inspector General Assam Rifles (South) at my Secretariat.”
He further added, “I deeply appreciate General Dwivedi’s visit to Manipur. We deliberated on critical issues concerning the current situation in our state. We reaffirmed the cooperation between the state government and the security forces in effectively responding to the challenges we face, maintaining peace and harmony in the state.”
The Public Relations Officer of IGAR (South) mentioned that the Army Chief will be visiting Kangpokpi district, Churachandpur district, and the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district on Saturday.
The purpose of his visit is to monitor the security measures taken by the central forces during the ongoing Manipur crisis, said IGAR (South).
Earlier, N Biren Singh stated that a shift towards restoring peace in Manipur would be seen within the 100-day program of PM Modi’s 3.0 government.
Meanwhile, retired lieutenant general L Nishikanta Singh posted a picture on X with the caption “Proud of General Dwivedi, COAS, for interacting with army veterans during visit to Manipur. He asked problems facing us. Since my retirement in 2018, he is the first to do so - see a ray of hope for veterans.”
A release issued by IGAR (South) said that the COAS was briefed about the operational preparedness by the commanders on ground on his arrival.
General Upendra Dwivedi also held a discussion with heads of various security agencies in the state wherein, he expressed his appreciation for the insights shared by them, it said.
During the meeting with N Biren Singh, the COAS discussed the internal security situation and role of Indian Army and Assam Rifles in ensuring early return of peace and stability in Manipur, it mentioned. The COAS reaffirmed the Indian Army’s commitment to ensuring a secure environment for the people of Manipur, it stated.
He also interacted with troops and complimented the soldiers for their professionalism, operational readiness, and dedication to duty.
In addition, the COAS also met with veterans and praised their selfless service and their invaluable contribution towards Nation Building, it added.
The COAS was accompanied by the Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen RC Tiwari, and the Spear Corps Commander, Lt Gen Abhijit S Pendharkar during the visit, it added.
