Imphal, November 24: Vehicle services have been suspended on NH 53 today following the alleged threat given to Meiteis not to travel on the highway by an underground group yesterday.

No bus from the city left for Tamenglong, Jiribam and Silchar due to the threat of the militants.

Vehicle services from Jiribam side have also been suspended.

One Silchar bound passenger bus belonging to the Kangleipak Travels left by the Dimapur route.

One night super vehicle of the Zam Zam will leave for Silchar via Dimapur road tomorrow.

No buses from Jiribam reached Imphal through NH 53 and the suspension is likely to continue for an extended period because of the threat.

It may be mentioned that cadres of an underground group had stopped passenger buses at Keiphundai on NH 53 yesterday and warned the Meiteis to stop travelling on the route from today.

Our Jiribam Correspondent adds that representatives of the Zelaingrong Students Union, Jiribam and Zeliangrong Union Jiribam have rushed to New Keiphundai to hold negotiations with the group which issued the threat today.

Meanwhile, the NSCN-K Zeilangrong region while apportioning the threat to the NSCN (IM) has strongly deplored the alleged threat.

In a statement, NSCN-K said that the people should be careful of such groups which intimidate the public and try to arouse communal passion.

The people should not co-operate with such groups, it said.

Stating that NSCN-IM should bear the responsibility of any communal flare up between the Meiteis and the Nagas, the outfit appealed to the Meiteis to continue traveling on NH 53 without any fear.

In the meantime, the New Cachar Road Transport Association has appealed to the groups concerned not to issue threats to travellersonNH53.

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