Mob Attacks Union Minister's House In Violence-Hit Manipur, No Casualties

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

The house of a Union Minister was attacked by a mob in Manipur last night, in the latest incident of violence in the northeast state which has been witnessing clashes between two groups over the demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education RK Ranjan Singh was at his residence in Imphal at the time of the incident, officials said, adding that the security personnel fired in the air to disperse the mob. No casualties were reported, officials added.

The incident took place days after a similar attack at the house of PWD Minister Konthoujam Govindas in Bishnupur district. Mr Govindas, however, was not present at the house when the mob attacked his residence claiming that the government in the violence-hit state was not doing enough to protect locals from militants belonging to another community.

This was the first time a minister's house was attacked during the ongoing ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that started three weeks ago.

Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed to control the situation in the state.