At least six people were killed and armories were looted as conflict erupted again in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur ahead of a no-confidence motion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for failing to contain earlier clashes.
(Bloomberg) — At least six people were killed and armories were looted as conflict erupted again in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur ahead of a no-confidence motion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for failing to contain earlier clashes.
There were day-long violence between two ethnic groups and attacks on security personnel on Saturday, according to a social media post by the Manipur police and local reports. The police said it’s raiding areas to recover arms and ammunitions stolen from the armories.
Clashes between minority tribal groups and majority Meitei Hindus over affirmative action policies have left more than 150 people dead since May.
A video last month surfaced on social media showing two women getting sexually assaulted, drawing attention and public anger to the ethnic conflict in the state ruled by Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. That pushed Modi to make his first public comments on the clashes that has engulfed relatively remote Manipur, which borders Myanmar.
Opposition parties used the video incident to lodge a no-confidence motion against the government in parliament. The government is expected to discuss and reply on the motion from Aug. 8-10.
The no confidence vote doesn’t pose a threat to the government because of its overwhelming majority in the lower house of parliament, but the debate will offer an opportunity to the opposition to corner it on sensitive issues such as women’s safety ahead of crucial upcoming elections.
The renewed Manipur violence follows deadly religious clashes this month between Hindus and Muslims near India’s capital, and threatens to taint Modi’s efforts to showcase India as a strategic counterweight and investment alternative to China.
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