MPCC suspects 'gathering' at CM's bungalow, complains
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 02 2024:
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has lodged complaints to CEO Manipur and the ECI, urging to look into frequent public gathering at the CM's Bungalow and take necessary legal action if the gathering is in violation of Election Model Code of Conduct.
Informing this to media persons at Congress Bhawan, here, on Tuesday, advocate Rabi Khan of MPCC Legal Cell acknowledged sentiment of the people of Manipur to forego election campaign and lavish expenses in view of prevailing unrest situation in the state.
However, large numbers of people particularly women could be seen gathered at the CM's bungalow frequently even after enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the 18th Lok Sabha election.
To ascertain if it is in violation the Model Code of Conduct or not, MPCC took video footage of the gathering between March 27 and 31 and lodged a complaint along with video footages to CEO Manipur on Monday.
A similar complaint has also been lodged to Election Commission of India (ECI), Rabi Khan said.
According to Rabi Khan, everybody is calling for a free and fair election but frequent gathering of people at the CM's bungalow transported in passenger vehicles including buses compelled certain sections of the society to question the reason for such gatherings.
Accordingly, MPCC lodged the complaint to CEO and ECI to ascertain if the gathering at the CM's bungalow violates the Model Code of Conduct.
MPCC spokesperson and former minister Khumuk-cham Ratankumar also told media persons that an old but doctored video of former AICC general secretary Bhakta Charan Das is being circulated on social media widely nowadays.
Whatever remark Bhakta Das made in the video were in the initial phase of the violence and the video is now unavailable on the official social media account of AICC.
Bhakta Charan Das indeed said in the video that the present war in Manipur started after the Meetei launched war against the Kukis but it was a personal opinion of Bhakta Charan Das and do not reflect the official statement of Congress party.
During that time, the AICC president reacted strongly to the remark of Bhakta Charan Das and he was even removed from the general secretary post soon after his remark, Ratankumar said.
Terming as unfortunate such election propaganda being spread through social media using the old and doctored video of Bhakta Charan Das, Ratankumar said that Union home minister Amit Shah had made clear in the Parliament that the ongoing violence in Manipur started after the high court ruling on ST status for the Meetei community.
In addition to Amit Shah's disclosure in the initial phase of the violence, Union minister Kiren Rijiju too had said that the present violence in Manipur erupted after the Meetei community's demand for ST status, Ratankumar pointed out.