Dy CM gives clean chit to cops
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 25 2016:
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Gaikhangam has categorically stated that no Manipur police personnel harassed or assaulted or abused with communal words any team of the Naga Students' Federation (NSF).
With regard to the ban imposed by NSF upon movement of vehicles belonging to Meiteis/Manipuris in Naga areas in protest against alleged harassment of an NSF team which was on its way to Ukhrul for Lui-Ngai-Ni celebration, MLAs Th Shyamkumar and Kh Joykishan raised a call attention motion at the Manipur Legislative Assembly today.
Tabling a report about the incident, a team of Imphal East District Police led by an SI frisked/checked NSF delegates as usual in a very legitimate manner at Mantripukhri at around 6.40 am of February 14 .
On learning about the visit of the Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Mizoram to Ukhrul for Lui-Ngai-Ni celebration, police teams were deployed at strategic points of Imphal-Ukhrul road and Imphal-Mao road and they were put on high alert.
Three members of NSF came in a Datsun car (NL01P/0080) .
Even as the police team halted the car and asked the occupants to come down they not only refused to alight but also started an argument, Gaikhangam informed the House.
They identified themselves as NSF members and told the police team they were on their way to Ukhrul for Lui-NgaiNi celebration.
In the meantime, they tried to communicate with someone over the mobile phone.
In order to prevent them from talking with the unknown person, the police team took the mobile phone.
With the arrival of two senior persons who asked the police team to pardon the three NSF members, they were let off, recounted the Deputy Chief Minister.
He added that the State police team did not offend or harass the NSF team in any manner.
They (State Police) have no communal outlook and they have been working to uphold human rights.
NSF submitted a memorandum on February 16 demanding termination of the duty officer and suspension of other personnel apart from seeking assurance for safety of Nagas and their vehicles.
Nonetheless, DIG Range-I IK Muivah has already started investigating into the incident and if the police team was found committing any excesses, befitting action would be initiated.
The DIG left for Kohima today to meet NSF functionaries.
The State DGP has also communicated with his Nagaland counterpart over the matter, Gaikhangam stated.
Whereas the NSF team did not cooperate with the State police, the NSF decided to ban all vehicles belonging to Meiteis while sparing vehicles belonging to other communities of Manipur.
This is highly communal and tragic, he remarked.
"The Government of Manipur or the State police do not have any communal outlook and this I would like to convey to the NSF through the Manipur Legislative Assembly", Gaikhangam continued.
He then appealed to NSF to withdraw their ban.
As for the vehicles stranded at Senapati, they were escorted up to Imphal by security forces yesterday.
Raising the call attention motion, Th Shyamkumar expressed keen desire for police personnel to follow certain norms while checking/frisking people.
Joykishan suggested the House to adopt a resolution on the issue.
He said that it would be very tragic if the stand-off snowballs into a communal conflict.
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