Manipur violence: Call for President's rule intensifies; Army soldier injured in firing

With no respite to the violence in Manipur, the call for imposing President's rule in the the state intensify. An Army soldier was injured after miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing in Imphal West district on Sunday.

The firing was from Kanto Sabal towards Chingmang village.

According to official, the condition of the soldier is stable. He was evacuated to the military hospital immediately after the incident.

Soon after the incident, Army Columns resorted to controlled retaliatory fire keeping in view presence of villagers in the area.

Three houses were set on fire by the miscreants in Chinmang village. However no casualty was reported and the fire was doused by the Army.

Sources also added that unprovoked firing started again from Meitei village of Kanto Sabal around 2: 35 am.

Blaming BJP for violence in the northeastern state, CPI general secretary D. Raja said that the government should appeal to both sides to maintain peace, harmony and tranquility.

"Modi has been claiming that the double engine governments are making big progress in several states, including Manipur. But look at the situation. The government will have to take all the political parties into confidence. It should appeal to both sides to maintain peace, harmony and tranquility. It is the government which has created the situation," said Raja in an interview with PTI.

In the wake of the ethnic clashes, members of the Joint Unanu Tribal Forum, Hyderabad had come to the forefront demanding an imposition of President's rule.

A protest march was held by the Forum members at Dharna Chowk demanding the dismissal of the government of Manipur.

Meanwhile, the lone Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram, K. Vanlalvena had called for President's Rule in Manipur and criticised the Centre for continued violence.

Vanlalvena, who is with the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) party, in an interview with The Indian Express, said that "The violence has continued for far too long-and now, it is time that Biren Singh government is removed. The Centre should put the state of Manipur under President's Rule."

Congress had repeatedly attacked the BJP and criticised PM Modi's silence on the ongoing violence in Manipur.

Meanwhile, the authorities had relaxed the curfew hours in Imphal East district from 5 am to 5 pm on Sunday in order to facilitate the general public to purchase essential items including medicines and food items.

Violence broke out in the northeastern state after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Over 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence in Manipur.

The state government and village authorities have set up 35 relief camps.