Stay away from instigators: Police to students
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 11 2024:
Stating that the protest by students during the last couple of days was instigated by some people, Manipur Police have appealed to all the students to stay from the instigators.
Briefing media persons at Manipur Police headquarters this afternoon, IGP (Intelligence) K Kabib appealed to parents of all juvenile students to keep away their children from instigators.
Protest demonstrations were carried out in the four valley districts of Thoubal, Imphal East, Bishnupur and Imphal West on Tuesday and most of these protest rallies were peaceful, Kabib said.
However, at some locations particularly in Imphal West such as Kakwa Bazar under Singjamei police station and Ima Keithel under City police station, the rallies turned violent as the protesters turned violent at Kakwa and Uripok.
The protesters used slingshots with iron balls at these places, the IGP (Intelligence) said.
Ten police personnel including one VDF personnel sustained injuries in the violent protest rallies.
To disperse the violent protesters, police were forced to use tear gas shells and mock bombs which resulted in injuries to many protesters, he said.
"Manipur Police have come to know many of the protesters are students and we believe they would not resort to violence on their own," Kabib said.
Many of the protesters who sustained injuries in the police action are instigators and they do not belong to the localities where the protest rallies were staged, he said.
It was due to participation of people from far off areas that violence erupted during the protest rally held yesterday at Kakwa.
They are from Heirok, Thoubal and other locations, he continued.
It shows that people from other places came and instigated the locals and thus transformed the democratic protests into violent protests, Kabib said.
He appealed to all parents and 'Imas' not to allow outsiders to participate in their protests.
Many students who participated in the protest are juveniles and they were kept one whole night at Ima Keithel.
Manipur Police have been working to find out under whose authority the juveniles and the students were kept the whole night at Ima Keithel.
Manipur Police were contacted by many parents and students saying that they wanted to leave the place but some instigators did not let them leave the place, Kabib said.
He then appealed to parents of all school going children to keep a close watch and prevent their children from being misguided by instigators.
He also appealed to all sections of the society to follow the rule of law and democratic norms if they must stage any protest agitation or rally.
IGP (Administration) K Jayanta remarked that the students' protest which has been going on for the last two days seem to be heading in another direction.
It appears that the student protesters are without any leader and under influence of others, he said.
It is unfortunate that the elders of the society instead of saying what the students are doing is right or wrong have been lending support to the students, he said.
Internet has been shut down all of a sudden after rumours spread in social media which can lead to serious problems in maintaining law and order.
If the situation improves, the ban will be lifted in a short period of time, he said.
Jayanta added that many vehicles left behind by the instigators at Ima Keithel and Kakwa Bazar have been impounded by the police stations concerned for necessary action and to find out the instigators.
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