The residence of Union Minister of State for External Affairs, R K Ranjan Singh in Imphal was set ablaze on Thursday night while several persons were reportedly injured after a village was attacked in Churachandpur district.
Official sources said Singh's Imphal residence in the Komgba area was partially damaged in the fire while some makeshift structures within his residential complex were completely burnt. The Union Minister and his family, however, were out of Manipur when a mob attacked his house. Singh told television channels that he is in Kerala for official work. The attack took place at around 11 pm, sources said.
The incident took place a day after the official residence of Manipur's only woman minister Nemcha Kipgen was attacked by a mob in Imphal East. Residences of at least eight MLAs and Ministers have been attacked since the violence broke out in Manipur on May 3. A mob vandalized Ranjan Singh's residence on May 25.
The fight between the government and 'illegal migrants'
The attack took place hours after CM N. Biren Singh said that those involved in Tuesday night's killings in Kangpokpi district would be punished and again appealed all communities to maintain peace. The CM said it was a fight between the government and those who entered Manipur illegally. He said that it was not a fight between communities even as a section is constantly trying to give it a colour of a fight between two communities (Meitei-Kuki).
At least nine Meitei persons were killed and 10 others were injured in an attack in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday night.
Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), a forum of Kuki organisations said that Kangvai, a Kuki-Zomi-dominated village at Lamka in Churachandpur district was attacked on Thursday evening. "Our village volunteers were shot and were brought to Lamka civil hospital," ITLF said.
Over 100 people, belonging to both Kuki and Meitei communities have died and over 50,000 others have been rendered homeless in clashes since May 3. The sporadic incidents of violence have continued despite the deployment of nearly 40,000 security forces including the Army.