Manipur, Mizoram legislators lock horns over ethnic conflict
A sharp exchange of words has erupted between Manipur legislators and Mizoram MP K Vanlalvena over the ongoing ethnic violence in the north eastern state.
At least one person was killed and four others, all from West Bengal, were injured due to the explosion of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at a community hall in central Manipur’s Thoubal district on Monday, police said.
Five persons were critically injured when the IED was detonated by remote control, according to police.
Pankaj Mahato, 21, died of his injuries after being rushed to the Thoubal district hospital.
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Workers were sleeping in a Community Hall in Khongjom when the blast occurred.
Aroop Mandal, 30, Souvik Patra, 18, Aporva Mandal, 25, and Rajesh Ramaanik, 19, are among those who were badly hurt. They are from the South 24 Parganas and other West Bengal districts.
A private corporation hired the five laborers to construct a water tank.
Senior police officers raced to the scene, 50 kilometers south of Imphal, and initiated a search operation to apprehend the offenders.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who also serves as the state’s home minister, condemned the bombing, calling it a cowardly crime.
“Targetting innocent workers who are working for their livelihood and developmental projects in Manipur are an act of cowardice,” Singh told the media.
Despite the fact that the motivation for the attack is unknown and the perpetrators have yet to be identified, the police have opened an investigation and filed a case at the Khongjom police station.
(with inputs from IANS)
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