‘Law & Order in Manipur is Total Failure’: Union Minister RK Ranjan ‘Shocked’ After His Imphal House Set on Fire

A day after his house was set ablaze by miscreants in Imphal, Union minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Friday said he was “shocked” with his fellow citizens who are behind the incident and that the law and order situation in BJP-ruled Manipur is a “total failure.”

Using strong words against the Biren Singh government to express his concern over violent clashes in Manipur since May 3, the Minister of State for External Affairs said the existing government in the state could not maintain peace.

“Law and order condition in Manipur is a total failure. The existing government could not maintain peace that’s why the central government has sent a lot of protections and Rapid Action Force.. I don’t know the state mechanism is failure, I feel like that,” Singh told reporters.

Singh, a BJP MP from Inner Manipur constituency, also informed that this was the second time, a mob has tried to attack his house. Earlier it happened during the day and hence security intervened.

“The first time, I anyhow convinced them and security protected. This time yesterday it was late night, around 10:30. Everything was normal, suddenly crowds of people came and attacked, I was told,” he said.

“There is no reason… I am trying to bring peace.. this kind of unwanted thing happened. If my sons and daughters and family happens to be there.. that burning and throwing of petrol, seems to attempt on my life too,” Singh added.

While this time the MP was at Delhi at the time of the incident, during last month’s attack, the minister was inside the house when the mob attempted to burn his residence. Reports said that three other members of his family were present in the building.

Last month, a mob, which comprised of Meitei men and women, attacked the MP’s house — who is from the same community — over the deaths in the Manipur violence that claimed dozens of lives in recent weeks.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi reacted to Singh’s comments and questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah over it.

Taking to Twitter, Chaturvedi shared Singh’s comments and said “The law and order situation in Manipur has totally failed… That’s a sitting minister in the government, not an opposition MP. Is his colleague in the cabinet – the Home Minister listening?

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also reacted and said “Here is a Union Minister from Manipur lamenting the prevailing situation in his state. But the PM is still silent, too busy preparing for his visit to the US while Manipur continues to burn.”

Singh had on Thursday said that repeated clashes show that the security needs to be tightened and the monitoring agency should monitor the situation.

His remarks came after nine people were killed and 10 others injured in a fresh flare-up of violence in Manipur which witnessed ethnic clashes on Wednesday.

The northeast state has been witnessing clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities over the demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category since May 3. Singh has been advocating peace amid the violence.