Despite Home Minister's 4-day visit, situation didn't change: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel on Manipur violence
Jun 16, 2023
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 16 : Noting the unabated sectarian violence in Manipur, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said that despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah's four-day visit to the northeastern state the situation did not change.
"When the situation there was deteriorating continuously, PM, Home Minister and other Union Ministers were in Karnataka. After that, the Home Minister was in the state (Manipur) for four days. Despite that, the situation did not change. Instead, the incidents are increasing. The State is burning," Baghel told reporters here.
Nine people were killed while more than 10 were injured in fresh violence in Manipur on Wednesday.
A mob also torched Union Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh's residence in Imphal's Kongba area on Thursday night.
Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Friday expressed his anguish at miscreants torching his residence in Imphal's Kongba area on Thursday night and said the "law and order situation in Manipur has failed".
Minister said he had constructed his house with prayers and was unable to understand why it was targeted.
"Someone tries to vandalize it, demolish it, I feel shocked. I never expect such kind of attitude and activities from my fellow citizens of this state. I pray to God also not to happen again. This is the second time, the first time, I anyhow convinced them and the security protected.... that was in the early evening. This time yesterday it was late night, around 10:30. Everything was normal, suddenly crowds of people came and attacked, I was told," Singh told ANI.
The state government has further extended the shutdown of the internet in the state up to June 20.
Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.
