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The day of the PM Modi's visit, Saturday, passed without incident. (ANI Photo)
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the town, violence broke out in Manipur’s Churachandpur on Sunday amid protests demanding the release of two men arrested earlier in the week for vandalising decorations put up in preparation for the PM’s visit.
A crowd of locals began demanding the release of the two men on Sunday afternoon, carrying out protests on the streets of Churachandpur town — the headquarters of the Kuki-Zo majority Churachandpur district. According to a senior security official, they even tried storming the Churachandpur police station. Visuals from the afternoon also showed a mob pelting stones at RAF personnel on duty during the protests.
The two men were released later in the day after the duty magistrate held a bail hearing for them, said the official.
“Their (the crowd’s) attempt to storm the police station was repelled by police, using lathi charge. The police and administration told them that they would have to secure the release of the two men through legal means. After this, their lawyer appealed to the district court. The duty magistrate held a hearing, and the two men were granted bail by the evening. The situation has calmed down after that,” said the official.
The incident that led to the arrest of the two men took place on Thursday night, when a clash broke out between some local residents and police. The clash came after police tried to disperse a group of men who had torn down some decorations put up ahead of the PM’s visit and engaged in arson in the Pearsonmun locality.
After the tensions that night, the situation had simmered down with different civil society organisations based in the town condemning their actions and calling for a peaceful environment ahead of Modi’s visit.
The day of the visit, Saturday, passed without incident.
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