Army rebuts assault charge
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 23 2023: The Army has rebutted the news reported in local dai-lies on Tuesday that Indian Army assaulted Manipur Fire Service personnel at New Checkon on Monday.

In a release, PRO Defence clar-ified that the Army troops were in the area tackling a mob that had already set fire to some houses, with the clear aim of inflaming communal passions.

The Army personnel were pre-venting the crowd from such disruptive action and had req-uisitioned the Fire Services to douse the fire.

When the Fire Service tenders arrived, they were reluctant to proceed cit-ing that the crowd was nearby, despite the assurances of the Army that there would be harm to the Firemen or equipment, it maintained.

The release stressed that it was under these circumstances that the Army personnel themselves commandeered the Fire Service tender and doused the fire.

The action by the Army personnel was most timely and need of the hour as it prevented a larger number of houses from being gutted, it emphasised.

The Army and Assam Rifles are committed to ensuring the return of peace and harmony in Manipur and are committed to working in unison with all departments to achieve that aim, the PRO affirmed.

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