Manipur: Mob vandalises, sets fire to venue ahead of CM N Biren Singh's visit; opposition to eviction drive likely reason for attack

Manipur: Mob vandalises, sets fire to venue ahead of CM N Biren Singh's visit; opposition to eviction drive likely reason for attack

Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but not before the venue was damaged with hundreds of burning chairs.

PTIUpdated: Thursday, April 27, 2023, 11:39 PM IST
Manipur: Mob vandalises, sets fire to venue ahead of CM N Biren Singh's visit; opposition to eviction drive likely reason for attack

An unruly mob vandalised and set on fire on Thursday night around 9 pm, the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh is scheduled to attend a programme the next day at New Lamka in Churachandpur district.

Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but not before the venue was damaged with hundreds of burning chairs.

The agitated mobs 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 said.

Attack likely to be in protest of eviction drive

Besides the inauguration of the open gym, Biren Singh is also scheduled to attend another function organised by a local at Sadbhavna Mandap.

The mob attack happened as the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum called for a total Churachandpur shutdown from 8 am to 4 pm. The Forum claimed that despite repeated submission of memorandums to the government protesting an ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forested areas of farmers and other tribal settlers, "the government has shown no sign of willingness or sincerity in addressing the plight of the people."