Khoirom Leikai incident a conspiracy: Debananda
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 09 2021:
In connection with the stone pelting incident at a public meeting organised at Kyamgei Khoirom Leikai on September 3 which was attended by Keirao AC MLA L Rameshwar, intending candidate Toijam Debananda has stated that the incident was an attempt to portray him in bad light.
Addressing a press meet held at his residence on Thursday afternoon, Debananda recounted that on September 3, he was informed that MLA Rameshwar would hold an election meeting at a community hall near to his (Debananda) residence.
However, Debananda's election committee had previously unanimously resolved that the no Committee member would attend the meeting of any other candidates in the locality as he (Debananda) himself is a resident of the locality.
However, an exception was made to allow people from other areas to attend any such meeting on the condition that the candidate must not attend the meeting, he added.
On the said day, Debananda met the local club members regarding the conduct of the meeting.
In response, the club said that the MLA Rameshwar would be attending the meeting, which was going to be held at Bamon Mandap but not at the community hall.
However, it was later revealed around 7.30 pm that the MLA himself attended the meeting.
As such, Debananda again enquired about the sequence of events and called out the Club secretary in this regard.
"The organisers, however, proceeded to blow the situation out of control.
Shortly after, there were sounds of stones being pelted at the community hall.
The people attending the meeting then retaliated by pelting stones at my house", Debananda recalled.
On receiving news of the incident, teams of Imphal East SDPO, Irilbung PS and Imphal East Commando arrived at the scene.
Although the police were present at the scene, no attempt was made to stop the people from pelting stones at his house, destroying his Bolero or setting fire on his Tata vehicle.
They did, however, help extinguish the flames.
All of these indicate that his supporters were not behind the incident but the people organising and attending the meeting were responsible.
"Later, the police came to my home and enquired whether I had a gun.
they also proceeded to conduct a search operation but failed to find anything.
The police then took away my Tata driver and my brother-in-laws along with other family members," he further recalled.
Questioning why the meeting was allowed to be conducted during the pandemic, permitting large gathering against government SOP; Debananda said that it was regrettable to see those in government abusing their power while restricting the public from doing anything.