New Delhi, May 6: As violence in Manipur spilled over to neighbouring states and even national capital, the Union Minister of State External Affairs and Education Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Saturday made a fervent appeal to all communities for return to peace in the sensitive border state.
Addressing media in his official residence, Dr Singh who represents Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency that mostly includes the violence hit areas, said that historically people form hills and plains have lived peacefully in the state. “There is always ethnic fraternity and harmony among all the ethnic people of Manipur including Maities and tribals,” he said.
“The situation is under control now with intervention of the state and the state government,” Dr Singh said. He informed that on his request the NEET (UG) 2023 exam in Manipur has been postponed.
Meanwhile, with 54 deaths reported in violence hit Manipur, the ethnic clashes spilled over to the national capital with an incident of Kuki and Meitei students attacking each other in groups.
Some people from Manipur staying in New Delhi held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar here to end the violence.
They raised slogans like “Save Manipur” and demanded identification of culprits behind the ethnic clashes and exemplary punishment for them.
A group of Kuki students residing in the Delhi University North Campus area alleged that they were attacked by a group of Meiteis on Thursday night.
According to them, a group of around 30 people surrounded three women and a few men who had accompanied them after a prayer meeting in the Patel Chest area and assaulted the menfolk. They also took away the phones of the students and even threatened the women, the students alleged.
The assault, however, stopped after police patrolling the area spotted them, they said. But so far police have not filed any FIR on the incident, they said.
