Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 28 2009:
A squabble erupted between senior advisor of MPP, Dr L Chandramani and OC of Thoubal Police Station, RK Tejbir when a team of police led by the OC tried to disrupt a public meeting where Dr Chandramani was addressing this afternoon at Laxmi bazar, Charangpat Mamang Leikai in Thoubal district.
The MPP organised a sit-in-protest there before holding a public meeting.
After several office-bearers and leaders of MPP had addressed the public meeting, Dr Chandramani spoke.
While he was speaking, a team of Thoubal police led by OC RK Tejbir came in five police vehicles.
The police team including women personnel listened to Dr Chandramani's speech for a while.
At about 3.30 pm, the OC removed a megaphone from inside his vehicle and using it he ordered the organisers to wind up the sit-in-protest and meeting immediately.
After listening to the OC, Dr Chandramani asked through the loudspeakers if it was on the ground that they had no premission for using loudspeakers, they would not use them and continue the meeting.
However, the OC did not answer and remained silent.
Then Dr Chandramani resumed speaking.
After about five minutes, the OC told Dr Chandramani through the megaphone with due respect that the meeting was being held without permit.
There is prohibition of assembly of people under Section 144 CrPC at the place where the meeting is being held.
The meeting can not be held with or without loudspeakers.
The Magistrate himself is also there with the police, the OC said and requested the organisers to conclude the meeting within five minutes.
Dr Chandramani switched off the loudspeakers and continued to address the gathering.
As soon as Dr Chandramani concluded his speech, president of MPP Dr Nimaichand Luwang told the newspersons that the sit-in-protest was being held demanding punishment to the police commandos involved in the July 23 killings at Khwairamband market, their dismissal from service and resignation of the Chief Minister for placing wrong report in the House.
He further said that disruption of such democratic protest and meeting by sending police force shows that there is no democracy in Manipur.
"This is dictatorial rule by Chief Minister O Ibobi in the name of democracy.
This is murder of democracy and gagging of people," he said.
MPP condemns the attempt to storm newspaper offices by hordes of people transported in hired vehicles from Thoubal for publishing a press release issued by the Apunba Lup.
MPP will not allow the press to be suppressed forcibly, Dr Nimaichand Luwang said.
He said, as a fall out of the brutal suppression of the people's voice, students can not get education.
This will create a huge gap in future.
O Ibobi should be held responsible for all such lapses in future.
Unless and until Ibobi resigns from the post of Chief Minister, the MPP will continue its agitation unabated, the president announced.