Imphal, April 07: Coming down harshly on the State police for pussy footing the matter while dealing with MEELAL activists, who have let loose a series of disruptive activities, Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh today pulled up the top ranking police officers and made it clear that the Government should not treat the activists with kid' gloves.

Talking to The Sangai Express a well placed source informed that the Chief Secretary convened a meeting today and instructed the police to open fire if the MEELAL activists continue with their disruptive activities.

The meeting also decided to treat the activists as terrorists under Article 2 (I)(l) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act 2004.Making his displeasure known over the ineffectiveness of the police in dealing with MEELAL and DESAM members, the Chief Secretary instructed the police to take up fitting action to ensure that public property is not destroyed or damaged.

At the moment a total of 46 cases have been registered against MEELAL in Imphal East and West districts while 9 cases have been lodged against DES AM members.

The number of MEELAL activists arrested is 392 though five have obtained bail.

DES AM members arrested has totalled 26 till date.

Out of these one MEELAL activist has been detained under NSA while 13 DES AM members are detained under the same Act.

Taking note of the fact that so far 13 private and Government vehicles and some Government offices have been burnt by MEELAL activists, the meeting today reviewed the strategy and the situation and decided to take up a strong line of action to rein in the disruptive activities of MEELAL and DESAM, said the source.

The meeting also decided to prepare dossiers on each of the activists identified and to send, to them to all the police stations to keep track of their movements.

The decision to prepare the dossiers on the activists arrested and identified is to make it mandatory for them to seek police clarifications when and if they apply for a passport or seek Government employment, added the source.

The meeting was attended by a good number of high ranking police officers and officers from the State Home Department including Additional DGPs Y Joykumar and C Peter, Principal Secretary (Home) AE Ahmed, IG (In tl) T Thangthuam, IG (LO-I) R Baral, DIG (Range-I) S Dinokumar and Special Secretary (Home) M Karnajit.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary also instructed the officers concerned to identify the JAC members of the IV 1KB who had launched a Statewide bandh and to make it compulsory for them to seek police verification in the event of them seeking Government employment.

After the meeting convened by the Chief Secretary, Additional DGPY Joykumar convened a meeting of police officers at his office chamber at 3.30 pm, added the source.

The meeting discussed the detail of the security strategy to be adopted to check the disruptive activities of MEELAL, said the source.

The loss of public property through the acts of arsons unleashed by MEELAL activists was the focus of the discussion during the meeting, said the source and added that the Additional DG instructed his men to take up stringent security arrangements to check the disruptive activities.

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