Curfew has been imposed in and around the under construction National Sports University by the administration as tensions over the controversial jurisdiction of the site escalated on Thursday.
The curfew was imposed after widespread protests in parts of Imphal West district after the state government agreed that the NSU site lies within Kangpokpi district in a talk with Kangpokpi based organisations on Wednesday night.
Irked by the agreement, hundreds of villagers on the valley side of the under construction NSU campus rose up and protested against the agreement, forcing the police to resort to firing several rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs.
Reports said some protestors and police personnel including the Imphal West SP sustained injuries during the melee.
In a talk to end a five-day long bandh along the national highways imposed by the Kangppokpi based civil society organisations, the state government agreed that changing the name of the site as “National Sports University Haraothel” instead of “National Sports University, Koutruk”.
Denouncing the decision of the state government, residents of Sekmai and Lamshang Assembly constituencies of Imphal West district came out on the streets in their respective villages and staged protests. They blocked inter-village roads at Leimakhong, Kanto Sabal, Khurkhul Lakhai, Khurkhul-Lamshang, Sekmai, Kangchup and Keithelmanbi. The protestors of the Sekmai area also came to the residence of MLA H Dingo of Sekmai AC at Khurkhul to register their protest.
To control the agitating people, a large number of armed police were sent to the areas. Top officials including IG zone-1 K Jayenta, DIG Themthing, Imphal West SP K Meghachandra also rushed to the spot.
At a time while the police were facing hard time to deal with the agitating people in parts of Imphal West district, a group of protestors pulled down display sign boards imprinted ‘Kangpokpi district’ at the site.
Police teams who rushed to the spot, however, retreated by firing guns in the air only to confront the protestors who pelted stones toward them. Police retaliated with tear gas shells and mock bombs. During the melee, injuries were inflicted to some police personnel including Imphal West SP K Meghachandra.
He sustained injury on his left ear after being hit by a stone and rushed to a hospital in Imphal. Some protesters also sustained injuries as police lathi-charged them. One of the protestors sustained serious injuries, sources said.
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