Mob torches Manipur minister's godown, tries to burn down residence

Imphal: A group of people has set on fire a private godown of Manipur minister L Susindro at Chingarel in Imphal East district, reducing it to ashes, police said on Saturday.

An attempt was also made to torch another property of the consumer and food affairs minister and his residence at Khurai in the same district on Friday night but timely intervention prevented it.

Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells till midnight to prevent the mob from gheraoing his Khurai residence, police said.

No casualty was reported in the incident.

Earlier, the official quarters of the state’s woman minister Nemcha Kipgen at Lamphel area in Imphal West district was set on fire by unidentified people on the night of June 14. A house belonging to Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh was attacked and attempts were made to burn it down the next day.

More than 100 people have lost their lives and a large number of houses were torched rendering many people homeless in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals – Nagas and Kukis – constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.