The Manipur government on Monday lifted the suspension of Internet and mobile data services, a day after it had extended the suspension to September 20 due to the prevailing law and order situation.

The restoration of Internet services came on a day chief minister N Biren Singh claimed that the present crisis in the strife-hit was fuelled by “foreign hand” following the recent arrest of a Kuki National Army – Burma (KNA-B) militant, a Myanmarese national, from Chandel district by the Assam Rifles, a claim which was contested by the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO).

The Manipur home department on Monday issued an order, under the power conferred as per Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, revoking the orders for temporary suspension of internet and mobiie data services “with immediate effect”.

The order was issued after the government reviewed the prevailing law and order situation, a day after the home department had suspended internet and mobile data services in five districts Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts for five more days, till September 20.

The ban was first imposed on September 10 following the fresh flare triggered by aerial attacks carried out by suspected Kuki militants in Meitei-majority Imphal Valley, and subsequent protests by women and students against Centre’s failure to contain the unrest which has completed 16 months and their demand to transfer the unified command charge to the BJP-led state government.

Unease prevails in Imphal Valley where curfew is still on from 2pm to 5am.

Biren Singh had indicated before the home department order that the “internet ban in the state will be lifted, and services will be restored” while urging “everyone to use the internet responsibly and refrain from sharing or posting any unnecessary or inflammatory content that may disturb the peace and harmony in the state”.

Singh told mediapersons in Imphal, “As the chief minister, I have continuously claimed since the beginning that the present crisis in Manipur is (fuelled) by the hand of outsiders, foreign hands. Some people believe, some people do not. But I appreciate the Assam Rifles for arresting the one Burmese (Myanmar) national, one KNA(B) member.”

The arrested KNA (B) cadre, identified as Thangliankap, is a Myanmarese citizen born in Kolang in Myanmar, and is accused of being on a arms trafficking mission.

However, the Kuki Students Organisation has contested Singh’s claims. In a statement on Monday evening, the KSO claimed Singh “time and again” has “desperately tried to cover up his misdeeds by shifting the focus of the ongoing conflict in the state” by continuously alleging the “involvement of foreign hands, especially those from Myanmar. Recently, the state government and its agencies have “even dragged the USA and China into the conflict”.

The KSO also urged the Centre to thoroughly probe the arrest of the Myanmar refugee.