Political parties should respect one another: Meghachandra
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 11 2023: While strongly condemning the physical assault on BJP Manipur Pradesh spokesperson M Sureshkumar by unknown person(s); Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president K Meghachandra, however, said that it was unfortunate to have a large number of security forces laying siege at the residence of MPCC Youth president N Popilal for 1-2 hours, forcefully barging into the room of his younger sister and threatening all his family members, which resulted in deterioration of his grandmother's health and is now being put on oxygen.

Addressing a press meet held at his Babupara official quarters on Saturday morning, Meghachandra recounted that BJP representative M Sureshkumar and MPCC representative N Popilal engaged in a heated debate during a live panel discussion programme of Impact TV on February 8.It is normal for the representatives to express their political opinions during a panel discussion and as such, there is no need to hold grudges over the same.

The matter should have ended with the culmination of the discussion programme.

However, over 100 members of BJYM gathered around the office of Impact TV and physically attacked N Popilal.

Stating that Congress party has been sharing constructive suggestion to the BJP-led government as its responsibility as the opposition party, the MPCC president said that it is up to the government whether to accept or reject the suggestion.

He then questioned: "If the opposition has no right to speak in a democracy, should Congress or any other opposition party cease to exist? What is the meaning of democracy if there is no freedom of speech? Why and on what basis was an FIR registered against Youth president N Popilal when he would have readily come if he was summoned for questioning? "Popilal is a responsible leader of a political party and as such, he will not run.

However, the police's barefaced actions have only further ashamed the department.

The police should investigate properly and the Congress party will extend full cooperation in this regard.

There is no evidence supporting the allegation that Popilal was involved in the assault on Sureshkumar.

But there is CCTV footage showing Popilal teaching students at the time of the attack, which proves his innocence.

Unfortunately, this act of treating a political party's youth leader, who is innocent in the first place, as a rebel, raiding his house and further threatening his family, is an extreme act on the part of the authorities," he contended.

Meanwhile, after these incidents, some unknown miscreants lobbed a petrol bomb at the gate of Congress Bhawan on Friday at around 10 pm, which is highly condemnable.

Even BJYM president Barish himself was part of a group who kicked and set fire to the party's office some time ago.

But it is not known what action the police have taken up in this regard, he said.

Meghachandra then urged for ensuring law and order and the police department working properly and impartially.

The current CM N Biren, some of the ruling ministers and over half of the MLAs had received training at the Congress Bhawan before they left.

As such, it is difficult to understand the mindset of vandalising the party's office, which is considered a sacred place by Congress party, just like most political parties think of their respective offices.

While questioning if all these are being done to divert the attention of the people from the drug issue besetting the state, the MPCC president urged for maintaining mutual respect between political parties.

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