Overnight in Manipur: Firing, mobs targeting police station, BJP MLA’s home

In Imphal, where the atmosphere has been tense for the past three nights, there were clashes on Friday evening between the state’s Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a mob that had torched a warehouse belonging to a retired IAS officer from the tribal community. Several such attempts continued through the night.

A mob of a few 100 gathered near Thongju at around 10.40 pm, attempted to vandalise the residence of BJP BLA Bishwajeet Singh and was dispersed by an RAF column. There was also an attempt to loot the Iringbam police station close to midnight, which was dispersed by the RAF.

There were at least two other instances of mob build-up. A mob of 200-300 gathered around the BJP office at Singjamei a little after midnight, and separately, there was an attempt to vandalise the residence of BJP Manipur president A Sharda Devi in Imphal West. In both instances, the crowd was dispersed by Army columns and the RAF.

On Wednesday evening, BJP MLA and state cabinet minister Nemcha Kipgen’s official quarters had been set on fire in Imphal West. On Thursday night, Union MoS for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh’s residence in Imphal East district was set on fire.

Manipur has been witnessing a second major wave of violence, primarily in the form of arson and shootings in areas between the Kuki-dominated hills and the Meitei-dominated valley.