In the latest incident of violence in Manipur, the house of Federal Minister of State for External Affairs R K Ranjan Singh in Kongba area in the state's capital of Imphal was set on fire by rioters using petrol bombs.
Singh and his family were not on the premises when the incident took place, but several security personnel were on duty at the time.
According to media reports, a mob of over 1,000 people attacked the house of the minister on Thursday night. They managed to reach the location despite a curfew being in place in the city.
“We couldn't prevent the incident as the mob was overwhelming and we couldn't control the situation. They threw petrol bombs coming in from all directions… from the bye lane behind the building and from the front entrance. So we simply couldn't control the mob,” L Dineshwor Singh, Escort Commander told media.
Violent clashes have been non-stop in the state since early May, after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis are the largest tribal community in Manipur.
In the wake of the violence, Singh held a meeting with a group of intellectuals from Meitei and Kuki communities to discuss how to bring peace in the violence-hit northeast state.
He also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the government to “identify and condemn” local politicians who could be responsible for the violence in his state.