Manipur: Mob vandalises, sets on fire CM's programme venue

Imphal: An unruly mob vandalised and set on fire the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh is scheduled to attend a programme at New Lamka in Churachandpur district. Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but not before the venue was damaged on Thursday night with hundreds of burning chairs.

The agitated mobs managed to partially torched the newly set-up open gym at PT Sports complex at New Lamka which Biren Singh is slated to inaugurate on Friday afternoon, police said.

Besides the inauguration of the open gym, Biren is also scheduled to attend another function organised by a local at Sadbhavna Mandap. The mob attack happened as the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum called for a total Churachandpur shutdown from 8 am to 4 pm.

The Forum claimed that despite the repeated submission of memorandums to the government protesting an ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forested areas of farmers and other tribal settlers, ”the government has shown no sign of willingness or sincerity in addressing the plight of the people.”