An office of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) was set ablaze by an angry mob in the Ukhrul district on Sunday, officials said.
A police official in Imphal said that the angry mob torched the NSCN-IM’s Wung regional office after four cadres of the Naga outfit were shot dead, reportedly by members of a rival group, in the neighboringthe Ukhrul Kamjong district on Saturday.
Tension has been escalating in both Ukhrul and Kamjong districts since Sunday morning following the spread of news about the killings.
Ukhrul district, which has witnessed recurring unrest, shares inter-state borders with Nagaland and an international border with Myanmar, while Kamjong district also has unfenced stretches along the Myanmar border.
“An irate mob went to the NSCN-IM Wung regional office, alleging that members of the outfit were involved in the killing of four cadres. The agitated crowd demanded immediate action against those responsible,” the official said.
During the confrontation,the neighboring the mob set fire to the office. No casualties have been reported so far.
Sources within the NSCN-IM said that no directive had been issued from the outfit’s headquarters to take action against any group or individual.
The organizationconfrontation, has initiated an internal inquiry to uncover the circumstances surrounding the killings and the subsequent violence.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Ukhrul, along with state Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh, met Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh at the Secretariat to discuss the situation in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
In a Facebook post, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh said: “Calledsaid, “Called on by a delegation of Ukhrul CSOs, accompanied by the State Home Minister and MLAs, at the Secretariat today, apprising on the prevailing situation of unrest, tensions, and ongoing developmental concerns in the district.”
The Chief Ministersaid, “Calledchief minister also added, “Strengthening infrastructure remains a key priority of the Unionchief ministerunion government, while removing impediments to communal harmony is essential for inclusive and sustainable progress. Peace forms the bedrock of all development initiatives, and collective efforts must continue to restore stability and accelerate growth in Ukhrul.”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has appealed to the Tangkhul Naga brothers and sisters of Ukhrul district to diffuse the tension and help the state government in maintaining law and order.
The Chief Ministerunionchief minister said that he is saddened by the unfortunate incident. He said that the violence cannot bring any solution and appealed tochief ministerappealed to all to shun any forms of violence. The government has taken the development seriously, and the law should take its own course, he added.
The Ukhrul District has witnessed violence today, and the situation in the border district is tense.
The chief minister said that he is saddened by the unfortunate incident. He said that the violence cannot bring any solution and appealed to all to shun any forms of violence. The government has taken the development seriously, and the law should take its own course, he added.
