Shiv Sena, activists demand removal of Kuldiep
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 13 2024: Shiv Sena Manipur State president M Tombi has called for removal of security advisor Kuldiep Singh from helming the affairs of the unified command contending that he has failed to maintain law and order and protect lives of the civilians in the state.

Addressing a press meet at party's Babupara office, here, on Saturday, Tombi informed that he would soon visit Delhi to urge the central authorities to remove Kuldiep Singh from his assigned post.

It is strange for Kuldiep to continue denying involvement of foreign elements in the prevailing conflict, when even the Governor and the chief minister had spoken about involvement of external forces.

However, Kuldiep's denial is highly irresponsible, especially considering KNA-B and ZRO are not Manipur based insurgent groups but mainly operate in neighbouring Myanmar.

Describing as most unfortunate the signing of SoO with these armed groups by the previous government, which is preventing the incumbent government from rectifying all the mistakes committed, he also opined that the chief minister of Manipur not put in charge of the unified command tantamount to humiliating the people of the state.

Meanwhile, the CM's repeated claims that peace has been restored in the state while there is gunfire every now and then, say a lot, Tombi remarked.

He then condemned the brutal killings of four firewood collectors in Kumbi Haotak and demanded the government to arrest and award befitting punishment to the culprits.

Meanwhile, political activist Maheshwar Thounaojam expressed that the brutal murder of innocent Meetei civilians in Wangoo Sabal Maning Meichakpi Ching by armed Kukis despite the presence of central forces in the area has shown the barbaric nature of Kukis.

Since security advisor Kuldiep Singh is unable to protect the innocent civilians, he should give up the chairmanship of the unified command and hand over the responsibility to a more competent person, Maheshwar, whois also the Republican Party of India (Athawale) national secretary, remarked.

On Friday, Maheshwar met families of the three firewood collectors who were killed in Kumbi Haotak on Thursday.

He also met with the 'mothers' guarding the area day and night against any possible attack.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines, Maheshwar pointed out that although central forces were deployed around 200 metres from the incident site, the death of three innocent civilians and the disappearance of the fourth has shown the uselessness of the forces.

Security advisor Kuldiep Singh cannot continue to stay silent and should instead hand over the chairmanship of the unified command to a more competent person, who can better protect the people and stop the crimes and attacks being committed against the Meetei populace.

He continued that even animals are compassionate but it seems there is no community in the world that is more cruel and wicked than the Kukis.

While some newspapers and other media have tried to downplay the attacks by labelling it as "attacks by suspected Kuki miscreants", the reality is that the Kukis are attacking and killing the Meeteis.

Thus, it would be best to drop this label and publish the facts as it is, he suggested.

Social activist from Kumbi Haotak Jaya Khangenbam has also demanded removal of Unified Command chairman from security advisor Kuldiep Singh and handing over the post to chief minister N Biren Singh.

Jaya told media persons at Manipur Press Club, here, on Saturday that villagers of Kumbi Haotak and Tampha Khunou in Bishnupur district fled their homes due to violent activities of Kuki militants since May 3 .

Villagers returned to their respective homes after deployment of huge central forces in the area and resumed normal activities with the hope that the central forces will protect them.

However, four villagers who went to nearby hills to collect firewood were killed brutally by Kuki militants on January 10.Even though the slain villagers did not cross the buffer zone or enter the area dominated by the Kukis, they were killed brutally by Kuki militants and the spot where their bodies were found was not far from the post of Maha Regiment, Jaya said.

Expressing suspicion if the four villagers were killed by Kuki militants in collusion with the central force, Jaya demanded removal central forces from all areas of Bishnupur district where there are no violence.

She also said that villagers have no trust on central forces and want deployment of state forces to protect them.

While asserting that chief minister N Biren Singh could not take up proactive actions to save indigenous communities of Manipur as he has not been given the charge of chairman of Unified Command, Jaya Khangenbam said that the chief minister should be made the chairman of Unified Command so that he could courageously and effectively fight the aggressors.

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