Manipur Violence: Union Minister Ranjan Singh's Residence Set On Fire

A mob stormed and set Union minister of state for external affairs RK Ranjan Singh's residence on fire, in the latest incident of violence in Manipur which has been witnessing clashes between two groups over the demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.

The junior minister of the external affairs minister was not at home at the time of the incident.

This is the second time that the minister's house has been attacked by a mob. In May, a mob attacked the MP's house over the deaths in the Manipur violence that claimed dozens of lives. The security personnel had to fire in the air to disperse the mob.

Notably, RK Ranjan Singh recently held a meeting with a group of intellectuals from Manipur's Meitei and Kuki communities to discuss how to bring peace in the violence-hit northeast state.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago. The state has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

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.