Withdraw AR: State BJP to PM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 08 2023:
BJP Manipur Pradesh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw Assam Rifles from Manipur.
BJP Manipur Pradesh, after due considerations and hectic deliberations, would like to draw your kind attention and necessary intervention with regard to the following few lines, said a memorandum submitted by BJP Manipur Pradesh to the Prime Minister.
The few lines laid down by BJP Manipur Pradesh before the Prime Minister are; That, the role of Assam Rifles with regard to the recent ethnic unrest in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the State has been under considerable amount of criticism and public outrage, said the memorandum.
That, since day one i.e 3rd of May, 2023, the Assam Rifles has failed to maintain neutrality so as to restore peace in the State.
The public anger and protest over the Assam Rifles for partisanship in this highly delicate and sensitive ethnic unrest continues to be witnessed unabated even today.
The Assam Rifles has been charged by the public for their biased role in tackling the situation by favouring and supporting one side only, added the State BJP.
As one glaring example, the Kwakta incident of 5th August, three civilians were killed brutally by Kuki terrorists while they were sleeping at their homes can be cited.
In pursuit of the killers, the State force acted swiftly and was about to catch them when they were stopped by the Assam Rifles on the road by placing the army vehicle directly in the middle of the road which leads to the village where the Kuki militants were stationed.
This is not the first case.
In many cases, the Assam Rifles have acted similarly, charged the State BJP.
"In view of the above facts and truth, we, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Manipur Pradesh would like to request you for your timely intervention by replacing the Assam Rifles by any other paramilitary forces permanently in the State of Manipur in the interest of the general public", reads the memorandum.
The BJP Manipur Pradesh further sought the Prime Minister's intervention in bringing an amicable solution to the ongoing ethnic unrest at the earliest.
The BJP members who appended their signatures to the memorandum to the Prime Minister included State BJP president A Sharda Devi, vice presidents N Nimbus Singh, Ch Chidananda Singh, general secretaries P Premananda Meitei, L Deben Meitei and five other vice presidents and general secretaries.