Anti-govt protesters try to attack Manipur CM's ancestral house, security forces foil attempt

A mob tried to attack Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s empty ancestral house on Thursday night, despite a security clampdown and curfew in the Imphal valley.

Security forces, however, were successful in foiling the attempt after firing in the air.

Singh lives in a separate, well-guarded official residence in the centre of the state’s capital.

“There was an attempt to attack the chief minister’s ancestral house at Heingang locality in Imphal. Security forces stopped the mob around 100-150 metres away from the house,” a police officer said.

Nobody stays in the house now though it too is guarded round the clock, the officer said.

The police officer said, “Two groups of people came from different directions and approached the CM’s ancestral residence but they were stopped.” Several rounds of tear gas shells were fired by RAF and state police personnel to disperse the mob.

The authorities switched off the electricity connection in the entire area to help reduce the visibility of the protestors. More barricades were added to the previous ones near the house.

The protestors also burnt tyres in the middle of the nearby road.

Ambulances were seen advancing near the spot but till now there is no report of injury to any side.

The incident occurred amid violent protests by students over the death of two youths in Manipur rocked the state capital on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A mob vandalised the deputy commissioner's office in Imphal West district and torched two four-wheelers in the early hours of Thursday.

Curfew was re-imposed in the two districts -- Imphal East and West – on Wednesday as the security forces combatted the violent protests, which saw 65 demonstrators being injured since Tuesday.

A fresh bout of violence broke out in the state capital on Tuesday, a day after photos of the bodies of two youths - a man and a girl - who went missing in July went viral on social media.

Earlier, houses of several ministers were attacked in Manipur which has been witnessing ethnic strife for nearly five months.