Imphal, August 19 2009: While affirming that there would be no let up in its ongoing movement, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup has called upon the people to agitate against all the 60 legislators as well, for their lack of initiative in removing Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.

The Apunba Lup is spearheading the current agitation against the Government in the awake of the July 23 firing at BT Road by police commandos, that claimed the lives of a young pregnant woman Th Rabina Devi and Ch Sanjit Singh, besides wounding five other civilians.

In condemnation of the alleged stage managed encounter enacted by police commandos, the Apunba Lup had been demanding resignation of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh owing moral responsibility, dismissal of police commandos involved in the firing, punitive action against top police officials for allegedly shielding the guilty commandos and unconditional release of some detained Lup members.

Noting that inspite of a series of democratic form of agitations there is hardly any appreciable action from the side of the Government against the trigger-happy police commandos, the Lup also expressed surprise that MLAs of both the ruling coalition and Opposition parties are yet to make any positive move to deliver justice to the people.

A statement issued today by the Working Committee also opined that rather than take up the most stringent act against the guilty police commandos, the Chief Minister had been lobbying with Central government leaders to extend more fund to strengthen the security set-up in the State.

Instead of acknowledging the mental and physical suffering being endured by the public due to excesses committed by security forces, operating in the State, the Chief Minister persuading Central leaders for more weapons under the pretext of law and order and police modernisation programme, is akin to adding salt to injury, opined the Lup.

Opining that the CM's concept is equitable to that of mortgaging the citizens at the hands for demonic police commandos, it also accused O Ibobi Singh of harbouring devilish intentions in projecting the people of Manipur as terrorists before the Central leaders.

Appealing to the people to sustain the movement till O Ibobi Singh is removed as the State's CM, the Lup's statement further pointed out that continuous militarisation of Manipur, under the guise of containing insurgency movement, is a deeprooted conspiracy endorsed by the present Chief Minister to decapitate the entire population of Manipur.

Contending that Manipur at the current juncture is the only place where there is largest number of security force deployment, per civilian head, the Lup highlighted that there is one security personnel for every five Manipuris.

Despite the ceaseless addition to the strength of security forces through fresh recruitments and additional reinforcements, there is hardly any evidence that insurgency related activities have declined related activities had declined in the recent past such disturbing trend of Manipur steadily turning into a police State is a clear manifestation of the present SPF Government attempting to subdue insurgency movement through elimination of innocent civilians out of frustration, the statement inferred.

Ascribing alleged inhumane and irresponsible acts of State security force personnel as an outcome of the corrupt system of governance, the Lup cautioned the general public that the CM's recent visit to New Delhi is to get approval from Central leaders to heap more miseries upon the people.

Urging the people to sustain the movement till the demands are honoured by the Government, the Lup reiterated its call not to spare the legislators for their alleged silence on the issue.

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