Ahead of Manipur CM's visit, mob sets ablaze event venue to protest eviction drive

Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but not before the venue was damaged with hundreds of burning chairs.

An unruly mob vandalised and set on fire on Thursday night around 9 pm, the venue where Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh is scheduled to attend a programme the next day at New Lamka in Churachandpur district.

The mob attack happened as the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum called for a total Churachandpur shutdown from 8 am to 4 pm. (Facebook)

Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but not before the venue was damaged with hundreds of burning chairs.

The agitated mobs managed to partially torched the newly set-up open gym at PT Sports complex at New Lamka which Biren Singh is slated to inaugurate on Friday afternoon, police said.

Read: Dissent against Manipur CM grows; BJP says no threat to leadership

Besides the inauguration of the open gym, Biren is also scheduled to attend another function organised by a local at Sadbhavna Mandap.

The mob attack happened as the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum called for a total Churachandpur shutdown from 8 am to 4 pm. The Forum claimed that despite repeated submission of memorandums to the government protesting an ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forested areas of farmers and other tribal settlers, “the government has shown no sign of willingness or sincerity in addressing the plight of the people.”