Amit Shah cancels poll rallies, heads back to Delhi as Manipur continues to be volatile

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday cancelled his rallies in poll-bound Maharashtra and is headed back to Delhi as the situation in Manipur continues to be volatile, according to sources.

The home minister is likely to hold a meeting to review the situation in the northeastern state, sources said.

Irate mobs set fire to the residences of three more BJP legislators, one of whom is a senior minister, and a Congress MLA in various districts of Imphal Valley on Saturday night even as security forces foiled an attempt by agitators to storm the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Shah was supposed to attend a few election rallies as part of the BJP's campaign in Maharashtra but he has cancelled them and is returning to the national capital, sources said.

Though there was no official word on the reason behind the cancellation of the minister's rallies, sources indicated that it could be due to the volatile situation in Manipur.

The home minister is likely to hold a meeting with top officers in Delhi to review the situation in Manipur, sources said.

A team of central security officers is expected to visit Manipur soon to assess the situation and assist the state government in tackling the situation, they said.