JD-U leaders urge Home Minister Rajnath Singh to repeal AFSPA
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 28 2014:
JD-U national leaders today met activist Irom Chanu Sharmila at Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi and the party urged BJP national president and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to remove Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Manipur for a limited period of at least six months.
Anti-AFSPA crusader Sharmila was on Wednesday present before the Metropolitan Magistrate of Patiala House Court in a case filed by Delhi Police against her in connection with the protest she staged at Jantar Mantar in the national capital some years earlier.
The rights activist left Imphal for New Delhi yesterday accompanied by two Jail staff members, one medical doctor, three nurses of JNIMS and two personnel of Manipur Police.
On Wednesday, before Sharmila's appearance in the Patiala House Court, JD-U National General Secretary, Arunkumar and the party's convenor for South India, Radha Krishna met the civil rights activist at Manipur Bhavan in the national capital from 7:30 am to 8:15 am, Manipur JD-U president M Tombi told Hueiyen Lanpao over phone from New Delhi.
At the meeting, the two JD-U leaders wished Sharmila success in her struggle, Tombi said.
As Sharmila insisted on her desire to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the JD-U leaders telephoned Rajnath Singh and Surface Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging them to take steps to revoke the controversial AFSPA from the State of Manipur for a limited period of at least six months.
Prior to her departure from Imphal Tulihal Airport yesterday, Sharmila had told the media that if she ever got the chance to meet Modi, she would exert pressure on the new PM to repeal the Act from the State.
Meanwhile, State JD-U president Tombi assured that he would raise the issue confronting Manipur during the National Executive Meeting of the party in New Delhi.