Deadly violence flares in Manipur ahead of Modi confidence vote

Manipur – At least six people were killed and armouries were looted as conflict erupted again in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur ahead of

a no-confidence motion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government

for failing to contain earlier clashes.

There was

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 is raiding areas to recover arms and ammunitions stolen from the armouries.

Clashes between minority tribal groups and majority Meitei Hindus over affirmative action policies have left more than 150 people dead since May. 

A video surfaced on social media in July showing

two women being sexually assaulted,

drawing attention and public anger to the ethnic conflict in the state ruled by Mr Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. That pushed Mr Modi to make his first public comments on the clashes that have 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 to 10.

The no-confidence vote does not pose a threat to the government because of its overwhelming majority in the Lower House of Parliament. However, 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 earlier in August between Hindus and Muslims near India’s capital, and threatens to taint Mr Modi’s efforts to showcase India as a strategic counterweight and investment alternative to China. Bloomberg