Abducted officers will be saved: Gaikhangam
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 10, 2013:
All necessary steps to save the two officers of Horticulture Department who have been abducted by armed cadres will be taken up, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, who also holds the portfolio not just Home but also Horticulture and Soil Conservation, has assured.
While talking to media persons at his office chamber late evening today, Gaikhangam said that the process for taking up necessary steps to rescue the two officers from the hands of the armed miscreants is already underway.
Though it would not be proper to point out the name of the UG group involved in the abduction, the State Government has got all the required information of the UG group behind it.
It is certain that the two officers would be released unharmed at the earliest, he added.
Abduction, extortion and killing of innocent persons will never bring about a peaceful society and this will also not benefit the abductors in any way.
As such, it would be wise on the part of the involved UG group to release the two officers considering grief and sorrow being experienced by their family members or else the limit of tolerance may be crossed, Gaikhangam warned.
On being asked whether any of the UG groups which is a signatory to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Central Government and Manipur Government, are involved in the latest abduction case, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that "they (the UG groups) always say that they are not involved, but on further investigation, they were always found to be involved".
He further informed that whenever the UG groups which are signatory to the SoO, got involved in certain crimes, they use the name of certain 'dummy groups'.
The Chairman of the monitoring group has been pressed by the government to check and stopped the UG groups from carrying out such illegal acts.
Gaikhangam also appealed to the SoO-signatory UG groups to be sincere and honest and stay away from involving in unlawful activities.
While replying to another query regarding the bandh being called by UNC in connection with their demand for "Alternative Arrangement", Home Minister Gaikhangam stated that talks have been initiated by the Central Government in connection with the demand of UNC.
How frequent the talks should be held lies in the hands of the Central government.
So calling a bandh in such a time is not the right approach, he said, while appealed to UNC to call off its proposed bandh.