Trouble at Moreh ahead of Rajth visit

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

IMPHAL, February 13: During their two–day visit to Manipur, Union Home Minister Rajth Singh and his colleague Kiren Rijiju are scheduled to visit Moreh, the border town for a few hours tomorrow to take stock of various developmental and other projects being taken up there.

This border town has been a trouble spot since insurgents of all hues including those of Assam and Meghalaya use as corridor to go to their camps in “no man’s land”.

Understandably, police had beefed up security measures at this shanty town to ensure that rebels are not there masquerading as traders and tourists. Last night, police commandos allegedly beat up some persons during their operations.

The people there retaliated. They pelted stones at the police.

The police tried to control the situation by firing tear gas canisters, rubber bullets and live shots in the air. But more and more angry members of public came out.

They came towards the police station to torch it.

It may be recalled that high police officials are camping there to ensure that there is no untoward incident during the short visit of the Home Minister.

The crowd succeeded in torching the main gate of the office of the additiol superintendent of police.

With the help of the paramilitary personnel, the police maged to push back the crowd and bring the situation under control around 10 pm.

From today morning, heavily armed police, Assam Rifles and paramilitary personnel patrolled the streets of the border town to ensure that people do not create law and order problems ahead of the visit of the ministers.

A newspaper report quoting police sources said that the police commandos had intercepted two persons travelling in a suspicious manner. When the police sigled them to halt, one of them had allegedly whipped out a hand gun and opened fire in the air. This had triggered trouble.

However, denizens of the shanty town contested it saying that it was a fabricated charge and nobody with gun was there.