Imphal (Agency): Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, expressed his dismay on Friday after his house in Imphal was vandalized and set on fire by a mob. He highlighted that despite the presence of a significant number of central forces, the law and order situation in Manipur has completely failed.
While attending a political program in Kerala, Singh shared his thoughts on the incident, stating, "I am completely perplexed as to why I am being targeted and why my house has been attacked for the second time. I am working tirelessly to restore normalcy in Manipur by engaging with the Central government."
Expressing shock over the incident, Singh criticized the state government for its failure to maintain law and order, despite the central forces' presence. He voiced his concern, saying, "I do not understand why the state mechanism has failed. If my family members and I were present at the residence during the attack, our lives would have been in serious danger. Union Home Minister Amit Shah contacted me after the incident."
Singh described how a mob hurled petrol bombs at his house on Thursday night, hindering the firefighters from entering the premises in a timely manner due to the attackers' obstruction.
As an academician-turned-politician and Member of Parliament from the Inner Manipur constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Singh had previously acknowledged the demand for a separate state for the tribals, acknowledging the pressure exerted by various groups.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh proposed eliminating the divisive division within Manipur and suggested that the entire state should be united without distinction between the hill inhabitants and the valley people, following the model of Himachal Pradesh. He also mentioned the possible amendment of Article 371C, which deals with special provisions for the hill areas of Manipur.
Expressing his dismay, Singh informed the Prime Minister that Kuki leaders, including their 10 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), have demanded a separate political administration equivalent to a separate state for the tribals.
Singh, along with Lorho S. Pfoze, a Member of Parliament from the Naga People's Front (NPF) representing the Outer Manipur constituency, previously appealed to the people to maintain peace, ethnic harmony, and trust in the government to address the situation.
Despite the imposition of a curfew, a mob of around 200 individuals defied the restrictions and attacked the Minister's residence on Thursday night, as reported by the police. Although a part of the house was set ablaze, the security guards and firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Singh's house had been targeted previously on May 25 when thousands of people attempted to gather in front of the residence, but they were prevented by the security forces. The mob, demanding a swift resolution to the ethnic conflict, accused the ministers and MLAs of not doing enough to address the crisis, according to the police. The incident has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in Manipur, prompting the government to take immediate action to restore peace and stability in the region.
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