Curfew Imposed in Manipur's Lilong After Violent Protests Over Waqf Amendment Act

Curfew Enforced in Thoubal District

Imphal: An indefinite curfew has been declared across the entire Lilong Assembly constituency in Manipur's Thoubal district, following a violent incident where a mob set fire to the residence of Md Asker Ali, the state President of the BJP minority morcha. This unrest reportedly stemmed from his support for the Waqf Amendment Act.

According to Thoubal District Magistrate A. Subhash Singh, a large crowd estimated between 7,000 and 8,000, armed with sticks and stones, attacked Ali's home late Sunday evening.

Officials indicated that the situation remains highly volatile in and around the Lilong Assembly Constituency, raising concerns about potential further disturbances that could threaten public order. In response, the Superintendent of Police urged the District Magistrate to impose prohibitory measures.

Consequently, the District Magistrate enacted the curfew under section 63 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for the entire constituency.

Md Asker Ali had expressed his support for the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, through social media posts over the weekend.

Protests erupted in various regions of Manipur's Valley areas on Sunday against the Act, with thousands of participants rallying and obstructing traffic on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) at Lilong. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces were reported in several locations, including Irong Chesaba in Thoubal district.

Demonstrations against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, also took place in other Muslim-majority areas of Imphal East and Thoubal districts.

In response to the unrest, the Manipur government has deployed additional security forces in all Muslim-dominated regions, with senior officials actively monitoring the situation.

President Droupadi Murmu approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on Saturday (April 5), as confirmed by a notification from the Law Ministry.

The Bill, which was recently passed by Parliament after extensive debates in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, aims to enhance governance by improving transparency in property management, facilitating better coordination between Waqf boards and local authorities, and safeguarding the rights of stakeholders.