Mob sets Union Minister’s house on fire in Imphal

Imphal (IANS) | A mob vandalized and set on fire the house of Union Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh in Imphal city of Manipur, despite curfew. Officials gave this information on Friday. According to police officials, a mob of 200 men and women attacked the Union minister’s residence late on Thursday night. Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh Singh is currently in Delhi.

In this incident, a part of the minister’s house got burnt, the security guards and fire brigade personnel controlled the fire and saved most of the parts of the minister’s house from burning.

The incident took place on Thursday afternoon after two more houses of locals were torched and clashes broke out between Manipur’s Rapid Action Force and a mob in Imphal city.

There were also clashes with the security forces at different places of the crowd roaming the streets in the capital Imphal.

Singh’s house was also targeted earlier on May 25 when thousands of people attempted to gather in front of the Union minister’s residence in Imphal, but were stopped by security forces.

Police said the gathering of men and women demanded an early resolution of the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

The mob accused all ministers and legislators of doing nothing to end the Manipur crisis.

On Wednesday, assailants set ablaze the official residence of Manipur Industries Minister Nemcha Kipgen in Lamphel area of Imphal West district.

Officials said Kipgen, Manipur’s only woman minister, was not at home when the assailants torched her official bungalow.

–IANS