After lawmakers come under attack from mobs in strife-torn Manipur, CM appeals for calm

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Lawmakers in restive Manipur have come under attack from mobs for failing to control the situation arising out of the ethnic violence.

An irate mob attempted to attack the house of Union minister of state for external affairs RK Ranjan Singh in Imphal on Thursday night. However, the security personnel deployed at his residence and in the locality thwarted the attempt by using force. The minister was at home then.

The incident followed the attack on the house of the state’s PWD minister Konthoujam Govindas in Bishnupur district by a mob on Wednesday night. It ransacked the house and damaged some vehicles.

In the wake of the incidents, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday appealed to people to maintain peace and not target anyone, including the legislators.

“I appeal to all not to do any kind of violence on the elected members or anybody anywhere. We, MLAs, are elected by the people. We are for the people. We will do what people want. That is our commitment,” Singh said.

“Please come to us for anything. We are here 24X7. People can talk to me or my colleagues and share their grievances,” he further said.

The CM said taking note of the gravity of the situation, Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra arrived in the state on Thursday.

ALSO READ | ‘Nothing is readily available’: Cylinders at Rs 2000, costly petrol singe strife-hit Manipuris

“They are meeting various civil society organisations to negotiate and bring peace and normalcy,” Singh said.

Calling upon people to show unity and not division in these difficult times, he said the issues are very complicated and they could be settled only through constitutional provisions and dialogues.

He appealed to those who looted police weapons to return them as early as possible so they can avoid legal consequences. He warned that paramilitary forces and police commandos would soon launch a combing operation to retrieve the weapons.

Altogether 1,041 weapons and 7,460 live cartridges were looted by the miscreants from a police establishment after the violence had broken out on May 3. Recently, Singh said 214 weapons and 4,273 bullets were recovered.

The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that 34,000 personnel of the Army and paramilitary forces are deployed in the state. Singh said the personnel had been fanned out across 38 vulnerable locations in the foothill areas between the Imphal valley and the hills.

GUWAHATI: Lawmakers in restive Manipur have come under attack from mobs for failing to control the situation arising out of the ethnic violence.

An irate mob attempted to attack the house of Union minister of state for external affairs RK Ranjan Singh in Imphal on Thursday night. However, the security personnel deployed at his residence and in the locality thwarted the attempt by using force. The minister was at home then.

The incident followed the attack on the house of the state’s PWD minister Konthoujam Govindas in Bishnupur district by a mob on Wednesday night. It ransacked the house and damaged some vehicles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

In the wake of the incidents, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday appealed to people to maintain peace and not target anyone, including the legislators.

“I appeal to all not to do any kind of violence on the elected members or anybody anywhere. We, MLAs, are elected by the people. We are for the people. We will do what people want. That is our commitment,” Singh said.

“Please come to us for anything. We are here 24X7. People can talk to me or my colleagues and share their grievances,” he further said.

The CM said taking note of the gravity of the situation, Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra arrived in the state on Thursday.

ALSO READ | ‘Nothing is readily available’: Cylinders at Rs 2000, costly petrol singe strife-hit Manipuris

“They are meeting various civil society organisations to negotiate and bring peace and normalcy,” Singh said.

Calling upon people to show unity and not division in these difficult times, he said the issues are very complicated and they could be settled only through constitutional provisions and dialogues.

He appealed to those who looted police weapons to return them as early as possible so they can avoid legal consequences. He warned that paramilitary forces and police commandos would soon launch a combing operation to retrieve the weapons.

Altogether 1,041 weapons and 7,460 live cartridges were looted by the miscreants from a police establishment after the violence had broken out on May 3. Recently, Singh said 214 weapons and 4,273 bullets were recovered.

The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that 34,000 personnel of the Army and paramilitary forces are deployed in the state. Singh said the personnel had been fanned out across 38 vulnerable locations in the foothill areas between the Imphal valley and the hills.

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