Manipur: Agitating students attempt to march to Raj Bhavan, 40 injured in clashes with police

Imphal: Over 40 students were injured on Tuesday following clashes with security forces when they attempted to march towards the Raj Bhavan in Imphal to press for their demands to remove the DGP and security advisor to the state government, police said.

Thousands of students and women demonstrators tried to march towards the Raj Bhavan on BT Road here, but were stopped by security forces near the Congress Bhavan, they said.

The agitators shouted slogans and pelted security personnel with stones and glass marble balls, forcing the men in uniform to fire tear gas shells to disperse them, a police officer said.

Manipur University students also staged a protest rally and burnt the effigy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They later headed for the state secretariat, but were stopped at Kakwa in Imphal West district, he said.

The students have been demanding the removal of the DGP and security advisor to the state government for their alleged inability to deal with the law and order situation in Manipur.

“More than 40 students were injured in the clashes and have been admitted to hospital,” the officer said.

An indefinite curfew, preventing people from coming outside their houses, has been clamped in Imphal East and West districts, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of BNSS were imposed in Thoubal.

Meanwhile, the Manipur government on Tuesday suspended internet services in the entire state for five days amid the intensified agitation by students.

The decision was taken to curb the use of social media for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video, the state home department said in a notification.

The Centre has also directed the deployment of two more CRPF battalions comprising about 2,000 personnel for security duties in ethnic strife-torn Manipur, official sources said.