Manipur blast mars I-Day celebrations

A bomb blast Thursday marred the Independence Day celebrations in Manipur, as Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh appealed for peace in the state. No one was injured in the explosion.

Amid tight security, Ibobi Singh unfurled the national flag and took the salute at a march-past by paramilitary and police forces here.

Separatists triggered the blast at Moirangkhom petrol pump area near the 1st Manipur Rifles parade ground, Imphal police chief Konsam Jayanta Singh told IANS.

The chief minister called for enduring peace in the state and appealed to rebel outfits to lay down arms and join the peace process.

 

A coordination committee of seven major separatist outfits, fighting for an independent state for the majority Metei community in Manipur, had called for a boycott of Independence Day.