Toddler hurt hours before by polls
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 20 2015 :
Barely 24 hours before Thangmeiband AC and Thongju AC go to by-election, a little over two year old boy was injured when some miscreants opened fire at the residence of a BJP supporter at Pheijaleitong Maiba Lampak, Thongju Part II .
While condemning the attack in the strongest term, BJP has lodged complaints with the Election Commission of India and the Union Home Minister.
BJP supporter Chirom Saratbabu (44) was sleeping with his 2 year and six months old son Chirom Lanchenba when the miscreants opened fire at their room at around 10 minutes past midnight.
Lanchanba was hit by a bullet on the left side of his back and he is currently undergoing treatment at Shija Hospital.
According to Saratbabu, it looked like the assailants entered his homestead from the eastern side.
A single gun shot was heard first followed by five/six rounds in quick succession and it looked like they went back on the same route through which they came.
Even after the gun shots ceased, Saratbabu Babu did not know that his son was hit.
As the boy cried out aloud apart from showing signs of breathing difficulty, the boy was taken to another room.
At the time of the gun shots, only the father and the son were inside the house as the boy's mother and aunts went out to join a gathering of local Meira Paibis.
After calling the mother and the aunts, they took a closer look at the boy and it was realized that he was hit by a bullet.
Saying that he has no enmity with anyone, Saratbabu told media persons that he had joined BJP even before Th Bishwajit was disqualified from being an MLA.
He maintained that being a citizen of a democratic he has all the right to support any candidate of his choice.
Meanwhile, local womenfolk staged a protest demonstration at Pheijaleitong Maiba Lampak today denouncing the violent attack.
The protesters demanded the Government to identify and book the assailants at the earliest.
On the other hand, Lok Sabha MP and BJP Manipur in-charge Prahlad Singh Patel visited the injured kid at Shija Hospital.
Speaking to media persons at the hospital, Prahlad Singh asserted that Chief Minister O Ibobi should apologize to the public for the violent attack.
BJP is always opposed to exercising money and muscle power in any election.
He then urged the ECI to reign in such gun culture and ensure that the by-election is held strictly in accordance to established rules and norms.
Briefing media persons at their office today, BJP Manipur President Th Chaoba strongly condemned the life attempt on the BJP supporter which ended in inflicting injury to toddler.
The violent attack has cast a long shadow of doubt on the concerned authority's capacity to hold the election in free and fair manner.
He said that they filed a complaint to the ECI with an appeal to ensure that the by-election is held in free and fair manner.
Veteran politician Okram Joy said that the attack was a direct challenge to democracy and a serious threat to BJP.
He also urged the concerned authority to book and punish all the individuals involved in the attack.