Imphal:    Michael Lamjathang Haokip, a BJP spokesperson in Manipur and prominent Thadou tribe leader, has lodged a police complaint following an attack on his home and a series of death threats. On Sunday night, around two dozen individuals, some armed, set fire to part of his residence in Churachandpur and fired shots into the air.

In his FIR, Mr. Haokip named 15 people he believes are “directly or indirectly” connected to the attack. He also accused two individuals of inciting violence against him in a WhatsApp group, where one member allegedly promised to give away land to anyone who would kill him. Attached to the FIR were screenshots from the group chat, where one person wrote, “SA (separate administration) will not be acceptable without killing LJT (Lamjathang) first, even if the central government is willing to grant us.” Another member offered village land in exchange for his assassination.

Mr. Haokip suspects the involvement of figures associated with a group he described as the “fake” Thadou Tribe Council (TTC-GHQ), which he claims has been spreading inflammatory rhetoric. The police, with support from the cyber cell and possibly central cybersecurity experts, are investigating the case.

Recently, threats against Mr. Haokip have intensified, including the circulation of a video on social media showing a masked individual in tactical gear, flanked by three others armed with AK-series rifles, threatening to kill the BJP leader if he continues to challenge the misidentification of the Thadou tribe as part of the Kuki tribe.

This latest attack marks the second time Mr. Haokip’s home has been targeted, allegedly by those who oppose the Thadou tribe’s distinct identity. The violence reflects the broader ethnic tensions in Manipur, where clashes between the valley-dominated Meitei community and the Kuki tribes of the hill regions have resulted in over 220 deaths and the displacement of nearly 50,000 people.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “direct challenge to the unity and integrity of the state,” and vowed to take “appropriate legal action” against those involved.