ALBAWABA- Police in Manipur arrested 23 individuals on Sunday following violent protests that saw the homes of lawmakers and ministers ransacked and set on fire.
The demonstrations erupted in defiance of a curfew imposed in the northeastern Indian state as hundreds protested against recent killings that have intensified ethnic tensions.
This marks the second consecutive day of unrest in Imphal, the state capital, where police used tear gas to disperse protesters, leaving eight people injured. Additional security forces have been deployed to prevent further violence.
Manipur has been on edge since May 2023 due to inter-communal clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which have claimed over 250 lives and displaced 60,000 people. The state is now divided into Meitei-controlled valleys and Kuki-dominated hills, with federal forces monitoring a no-man's land between the two areas.
Tensions escalated last week after a 31-year-old Kuki woman was burned alive, an act blamed on Meitei militants. Protests have since surged, demanding accountability for the ongoing violence, which recently claimed the lives of two women and two children.
Authorities confirmed the discovery of bodies linked to a missing Meitei family, including a woman and a two-year-old child, found in a river on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Kuki man's body was also recovered, with officials suspecting it was connected to the unrest.
In a major political development, the National People's Party (NPP), an ally of the ruling BJP, announced its withdrawal of support for the state government, citing Chief Minister N Biren Singh's failure to resolve the crisis.
The party, which holds seven seats in the 60-member state assembly, criticized the government for its inability to address the escalating violence.
Manipur remains under an indefinite curfew with internet and mobile services suspended, as the situation remains tense and unpredictable, according to state police.
