However, military officials have denied this. He said the searches were carried out on the basis of intelligence inputs and the contingents also had women soldiers of the Assam Rifles to ensure that the women whose houses were searched were safe. Significantly, on May 3, ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in several districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, following which violent clashes took place in Manipur.