In an unsettling incident, a crowd attempted to surround the residence of Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, in Imphal East district. The mob expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s perceived lack of efforts to protect the local community from militants belonging to a different community, according to news agency PTI.
To disperse the crowd, security forces deployed tear gas shells at around 8 pm on Thursday in the Kongba area of the district. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and representative of the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, holds a high-ranking position within the party.
In another incident on Thursday night, suspected Kuki militants exchanged gunfire with security forces in the Toronglaobi locality of the Bishnupur district. A group of individuals, claiming inadequate protection from militants of a different group, targeted the residence of Manipur PWD Minister Konthoujam Govindas in the Bishnupur district on Wednesday.
Fortunately, BJP leader Govindas and his family were not present during the attack in the Ningthoukhong area. The mob caused significant damage to the house, including the gate, windows, furniture, and electronic items.
This recent episode marks the first time a minister’s residence has been targeted in the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which started three weeks ago and has resulted in over 70 fatalities.
The clashes in Manipur began on May 3 following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill regions, opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Before the violence in Manipur, there were several smaller protests against the displacement of Kuki people from reserve forest land.
Manipur’s population consists of approximately 53% Meiteis, primarily residing in the Imphal Valley, and 40% Nagas and Kukis, who inhabit the hill areas.
The ethnic confrontations have claimed the lives of more than 70 people, prompting the deployment of 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel to restore order in the northeastern state.