Manipur wants AFSPA revoked as tensions increase, CM Biren Singh's house targeted
By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Nov 17, 2024, 10:45 AM ISTViolence escalated in Manipur as protesters targeted ministers' and MLAs' homes following the recovery of missing persons. A curfew was imposed, internet services suspended, and security forces deployed to control the unrest.
As tensions soared in Manipur following the recovery of the bodies of all six missing persons, protesters targeted the houses of ministers and MLAs, ransacking their residences and setting some of them on fire. Security officers used tear gas to separate the mob in different locations of Imphal after they attempted to storm the home of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Three ministers' and six MLAs' residences were looted by protesters, who also set fire to the homes of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's son-in-law. The authorities banned internet access in several areas of the state and placed permanent prohibitory measures in five districts due to the violence that was breaking out, especially in Jiribam.
Curfew imposed and internet suspended
Latest Videos
The Imphal Valley's Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching districts have all been placed under complete curfew. Additionally, internet and mobile data services have been blocked for two days in seven of these districts. The presence of state police, the Army, and the Assam Rifles has increased security.
Health Minister Sapam Ranjan, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister L Susindro Singh, and Municipal Administration and Housing Development Minister Y Khemchand are among the ministers whose homes were overrun by demonstrators. Chief Minister N Biren Singh's son-in-law, BJP MLA RK Imo, is among the other targets.
Appeal to review AFSPA
The Manipur administration, meanwhile, asked the Center to examine and remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from regions that are within the purview of six of the state's police stations. The violence-plagued Jiribam was one of the six police station locations in Manipur where the Center reinstated AFSPA earlier this week.
Exercise caution
Noting that the "security scenario in Manipur has remained fragile for the past few days," the Union Home Ministry asked the populace to keep the peace and threatened to take harsh action against anybody attempting to engage in violent or disruptive activities. Important cases have been turned over to the NIA for efficient investigation, it continued.
Residents of Mizoram have been advised to exercise "extreme caution" in order to avert communal turmoil in the state, as the administration fears that violence may spread to other regions of the Northeast. The Mizoram Home Department issued a statement urging citizens to abstain from activities that can spark unrest in the community.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here. For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.