Unfounded, says State BJP
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 17 2023:
The BJP Manipur Pradesh has denied the charges levelled against the party of taking the help of United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) in the run up to the 2017 Assembly elections.
It may be mentioned that six student organisations have been seeking clarification from the BJP's Central leadership about the claim made by the militant outfit that the outlawed group had backed BJP candidates in the 2017 Assembly elections.
Speaking to media persons at Nityaipat Chuthek today, spokesperson of BJP Manipur M Asni-kumar Singh said that they didn't take help from any militant group to win the elections.
He further said that the charges levelled against its party leaders Ram Madhav and Himanta Biswa Sarma of reaching an agreement with the Kuki outfit was unfounded and baseless.
Saying that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) was agreed between the Indian Army and Kuki outfits in 2005 and it became effective from 2008 after the formulation of ground rules, A Asnikumar continued that the then Government (2008 to 2016), however, didn't monitor the agreement properly .
"It was only after BJP came to power in 2018 that an interlocutor of the SoO pact was appointed to bring a lasting solution," he claimed.
Reiterating that the charges levelled by the UKLF chief is baseless, Asnikumar continued that BJP didn't take any assistance from any proscribed group to win elections.