Clashes erupted between locals and the police in Manipur’s Churachandpur on Thursday after a group allegedly tried to tear down decorative structures erected along roads in preparation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the district on Saturday, The Indian Express reported.

This will be the prime minister’s first visit to the state since ethnic clashes broke out over two years ago.

The clashes on Thursday took place at the Pearsonmun area in Churachandpur town, the newspaper reported. The locality is close to the Border Security Force facility where Modi’s helicopter is expected to land.

The prime minister is expected to travel about 5 km by road from the facility to the Peace Ground to attend an event. The stretch of road on which he is scheduled to travel has been lined with flags, The Indian Express reported. Several stretches are also being flanked by fabric mounted on bamboo frames.

On Thursday, groups of men armed with sticks went on a rampage at around 7.45 pm at two places near the BSF facility, The Hindu reported. Videos circulating widely on social media showed the men allegedly tearing down the erected frames and engaging in arson.

Visuals also showed the groups clashing with police officers, who baton-charged the men to force them to disperse, The Indian Express reported. An unidentified security personnel told the newspaper that the violence was brought under control later at night and that the damage caused was “minor”.

Manipur has been embroiled in ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities that have killed at least 260 persons and displaced more than 59,000 persons since May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.

President’s Rule was imposed in February after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned.

The BJP leader had stepped down amid allegations from Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups that his response to the violence was partisan and that he had stoked majoritarianism.

Ahead of the proposed event on Saturday, Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups such as the Kuki Inpi Manipur and the Imphal Hmar Displaced Committee welcomed the prime minister’s “long overdue” visit to the state, The Hindu reported.

However, the groups opposed the inclusion of a dance programme during the official function. “Our mourning is not yet over, our tears are not yet dried, our wounds are not yet healed,” the newspaper quoted the two organisations as saying in separate statements. “We cannot dance with joy.”

Some organisations had also proposed that their members dress in black on the day of the event as a sign of mourning, The Indian Express reported. A few student groups had also placed empty coffins outside the venue.

Security officials, including Central Reserve Police Force Inspector General Kabib K, met with some of the groups on Tuesday to persuade them to remove the coffins and call off plans to dress in black.

43 BJP members resign in Phungyar constituency

Ahead of the prime minister’s visit, 43 members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party resigned from the party in the Phungyar constituency in the state’s Ukhrul district on Thursday, PTI reported.

The BJP claimed that their resignations were a “publicity stunt”.

Those who submitted their resignation from the party’s Phungyar Mandal included the mandal president, the heads of the Mahila, Yuva and Kisan morchas, and the booth presidents of the constituency, the news agency quoted an unidentified party functionary as saying.

The 43 BJP members, in a statement, said that they were “deeply concerned over the present state of affairs within the party”. The statement noted the “lack of consultation, inclusiveness, and respect for grassroots leadership” as key reasons for the resignations.

“Our loyalty to the party and its ideology has always been unwavering,” it said. “We reaffirm our commitment to work for the welfare of our community and the people of Manipur.”

In response, the Manipur unit of the BJP claimed that those who submitted their resignations had been “engaging in anti-party activities ever since the 2022 Assembly elections”, PTI reported.

The move was a “publicity stunt, aimed at misleading the public and an attempt to tarnish the image of the party for their personal gain,” BJP Manipur Pradesh vice-president Awung Shimray Hopingson said.

Hopingson added that disciplinary action had been sought against the members.

Also read: ‘No side is happy’: Why Centre’s new pact with Kuki-Zo armed groups has left Manipur unenthused

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