Richard Loitam murder case: BJP, MPP offices sealed
17 students arrested, protest to be staged at major cities today
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 19 2012: Along with rejecting the forensic report over the death of Richard Loitam, six student bodies of the state today locked up the offices of BJP Manipur unit and Manipur People's Party (MPP) alleging political parties of being insensitive and remaining quiet over any important public issues.

Around 60 to 70 members of All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF), Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA), Students Welfare Association of Kangleipak (SWAK) and Students Union of Kangleipak (SUK) carried out the protest.

At around 1 pm, the agitated students first stormed at the office of BJP Manipur unit located at Nityapat Chuthek here.

They told all the office bearers and other visitors to vacate the office premises and remove their vehicles and locked up the main gate of the office.

Some of the students were also seen tearing down the hoardings of BJP.

From there, the agitated students rushed to the office of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee located along BT Road at around 1.30 pm.

After crossing the first gate, they were about to enter the second gate when the police personnel deployed there for the protection of the office complex, stopped them from advancing further.

When the agitated students tried to enter the gate forcibly, police swung into action.

In the ensuing melee, at least two student protestors sustained injuries.

After chasing away the student protestors from the second gate, the police personnel locked up the main gate of the office.

Infuriated at the police action, the undeterred student protestors pulled out the iron barricades kept along the road median of BT Road and used them in hitting against the sealed main gate of Congress Bhavan.

In the third incident, the agitated students stormed at the office of Manipur People's Party (MPP) located behind the nearby Pologround.

After chasing away all the people who were inside the office complex, they locked up the main gate of the party office.

For their fourth showdown, the agitated students were coming towards the office of Communist Party of India (CPI), Manipur State unit located within Irabot Bhavan, Rupmahal Tank when a team of City police led by its OC Tejbir stopped them, thus resulting in a brief confrontation.

To control the situation from getting out of control, the police team picked up 17 student protestors and drove them away in the police van.

The student protestors were, however, set free at around 8 pm.

Talking to mediapersons in connection with the today's protest demonstration, Secretary General of DESAM Thoithoi categorically stated that no political parties, whose offices were sealed or targeted today, should re-open again and no one should enter these office complexes.

Anyone acting in defiance of the restriction would be dealt seriously and they themselves should be responsible for any eventuality.

Explaining the reason for shutting down the office of BJP state unit in particular, Thoithoi pointed out that Karnataka is a state ruled by BJP but the party has been ignoring the issue over the death of a student from North East at Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka.

National leaders of BJP too have not said anything over the issue.

On the protest against Congress party, Thoithoi said that Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is the head of the Congress government in the state and the same party in power at the Centre.

But Congress has not given any pressure on the Karnataka Government for ensuring protection of the North East students studying there, not to speak of paying serious attention to the issue surrounding the death of Richard Loitam.

The protest of the student bodies also targeted MPP and CPI so that the two political parties come out with their definite stand over the issue and take up necessary measures in this regard, he added.

Rejecting the forensic report which ruled out murder or culpable homicide over the death of Richard, Thoithoi asserted that student bodies feel that the report was complete hogwash.

If the case is handed over to a neutral investigating agency like CBI, the student bodies may think of relaxing the ongoing agitation.

Instead of that if the police continue with their crackdown on student protestors, Manipur may witness intense violent agitations, he warned.

The student leader also came out strongly against the action of two police personnel who beat up two student protestors at Congress Bhavan.

The two police personnel were not wearing proper uniform; he pointed out and demanded necessary action against the two policemen.

Meanwhile, with the issue over the death of Richard becoming more intense and complex, North East Forum is all set for staging a mass protest in front of Bangalore town hall from 4 pm to 6 pm tomorrow.

It is said that similar protest would also be launched in other major cities of the country.

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