Union minister RK Ranjan Singh calls perpetrators 'inhuman' after mob vandalises his home in Manipur

Imphal: The clash between different ethnic groups in Manipur showed no signs of abating more than six weeks after the riot broke out as a mob vandalised a Union Minister's house here on Friday.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs R K Ranjan Singh's house in Imphal town was vandalised by a mob, officials said.

Security guards and fire fighters managed to control arson attempts by the mob and save the minister's house from being burnt down on Thursday night, they said.

Minister RK Ranjan Singh, who was on an official visit to Kerala, cancelled his programmes in the state after the incident.

"Those who are creating conflict in Manipur are inhuman," the Minister said while responding to the media. 

He will return to Delhi in the evening. Visit to Kalady Sringeri Mutt, press conference and meeting with dignitaries have been cancelled. 

Escalating situation in Manipur

The development comes after the burning of two houses, and clashes between Rapid Action Force of Manipur and a mob in the heart of Imphal town on Thursday afternoon.

The mob which roamed the town late on Thursday also clashed with security forces, the officials said.

According to officials, at least two abandoned houses were set on fire by a mob here on Thursday afternoon a day after an attack in the Khamenlok area left nine people dead and injured ten others.

Incidents of clashes and attacks have resurfaced in Manipur this week.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago. The state has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

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.

(With PTI inputs.)