Mob sets Central minister's house on fire in Imphal

Imphal, June 16 (IANS) Violating curfew, a mob vandalised and set ablaze Union Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh's house in Imphal town of Manipur, officials said on Friday.

According to police officials, a mob of 200 men and women attacked the Central Minister's residence late Thursday night. Singh, who is also the Minister of state for Education, is currently in Delhi.

Though a portion of the minister's house got burnt, the security guards and firefighters managed to control the arson and saved most parts of the minister's house from being burnt down.

The incident took place after the burning of two more houses belonging to locals and clashes between the Rapid Action Force of Manipur and a mob in the heart of Imphal town the same afternoon.

The mob which roamed the capital city also clashed with security forces in different places.

Singh's house was also targetted on May 25 when thousands of people attempted to assemble in front of the residence of the Central Minister in Imphal but the security forces prevented them from doing so.

Police said the mob, comprising men and women, demanded an early solution to the ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki communities.

The mob accused all the ministers and MLAs that they are not doing enough to end the Manipur crisis.

On Wednesday, assailants burnt the official residence of Manipur's Industry Minister Nemcha Kipgen in the Lamphel area in Imphal West district.

The officials said that Kipgen, the lone woman minister in Manipur, was not at home when the attackers burnt down her official bungalow.