Indus Valley Times

Manipur,Apr 28 :  A mob vandalised and set on fire the venue where Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh was scheduled to hold a program in the state’s Churachandpur district on Friday. The chief minister is scheduled to inaugurate a gym-cum-sports facility today.

Following the incident, the Internet has been temporarily banned and Section 144 has been imposed in Churachandpur.

The agitated mob was seen breaking chairs and other properties inside the venue and also set ablaze sports equipment of the newly constructed gym.

Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but the venue was already damaged with hundreds of burning chairs. As the situation spiralled out of control, the Churachandpur administration beefed up the security in the district, but the situation still remains to be tense.

The agitated mob managed to partially torched the newly set-up open gym at PT Sports complex at New Lamka, which Biren Singh is slated to inaugurate on Friday afternoon, police told news agency PTI.

The district administration is yet to confirm if the chief minister’s program has been cancelled due to the violence.

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The mob violence was reportedly led by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, who has been objecting to the BJP-led state government’s survey of reserved and protected forest areas besides the wetlands. The Tribal forum accused the state government of having demolishing churches.

The forum stated in a statement that it has been compelled to carry out a non-cooperation campaign against the government thus obstructing its programs and also called for an eight hour strike in the district on Friday starting from 8 am.

The Kuki Students’ Organisation has also supported the forum with allegations of showing a stepmotherly attitude to the tribals of the state.

The Manipur government earlier this month reportedly demolished three churches in the state, saying these were illegally constructed.

-PTI