New Delhi: At least two civilians were injured in Imphal after the Rapid Action Force (RAF) fired rubber bullets and tear gas on a mob of 1,000 that attempted arson in the city’s Palace Compound area on June 16, The Hindu reported.The tense atmosphere prevailing in Imphal for the past few nights continued even on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. Multiple incidents of mob build-up and attempted vandalism and arson have also been reported.Automatic weapons were fired from Kwakta in Bishnupur district and Kangvai in Churachandpur district of conflict-torn Manipur last night, and intermittent bursts of firing were being reported till early this morning, police and army sources have said, according to NDTV.The RAF dispersed a mob of nearly 100 gathered near Thongju around 10:40 pm on Friday in an attempt to vandalise the house of BJP MLA Biswajit Singh. Police also said there was an attempt by a mob to loot the Iringbam police station close to midnight, which the RAF prevented, the Indian Express reported.Another mob of about 300 descended on the BJP office at Singjamei a little after midnight to launch an attack. There was an attempt to vandalise the residence of BJP Manipur president A Sharda Devi in Imphal West. Security forces in both these instances used force to disperse the mobs.In separate incidents, automatic gunfire was reported from Kwakta in the Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in the Churachandpur district through the night.Earlier, on Wednesday evening, another BJP MLA and state cabinet minister Nemcha Kipgen’s official quarters in Imphal West had been set ablaze. Similarly, Union minister of state for external affairs Rajkumar Singh’s house in Imphal East district came under attack when a mob set it on fire.In the evening of Saturday, June 17, Congress leader from Manipur Keisham Meghachandra announced that representatives of ten parties including the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have arrived in Delhi to try and discuss the state’s turmoil with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The violence in the state of Manipur shows no signs of stopping. Innocent people are being killed, essential commodities are unavailable, and there is no internet, resulting in widespread suffering.We, leaders of 10 like-minded political parties, have arrived in Delhi to… pic.twitter.com/y3ZcOlT8oy— Congress (@INCIndia) June 17, 2023
