Ukhrul ex-MLA Alfred Arthur survives gun attack
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, March 19 2024:
Former Ukhrul MLA, Alfred Kanngam Arthur, who is likely to be fielded by the Congress party for the Outer Manipur Parliamentary seat as the lone ticket applicant for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, escaped an armed attack in Teinem village under Chingai assembly constituency in Ukhrul district on Tuesday.
Unknown gunmen also targeted Alfred Arthur during a village level consultative meeting at Paurei Shirui on Monday.
Fortunately, Arthur emerged unscathed from the incident as well, although the attack sent shockwaves through the political circles in the state.
The attack, which occurred around 2 pm, drew strong condemnations from Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president K Meghachandra, during a press conference held at Congress Bhawan here on Tuesday.
He also criticised the state government for its failure to ensure safety and security of political candidates, and raised serious concerns about feasibility of conducting elections amidst such threats.
Asserting that the government is responsibly to provide adequate protection, Meghachandra questioned credibility of the state government's claims regarding gradual return of peace and normalcy.
He emphasised that incidents like these not only endanger the lives of individuals but also aim to create fear and disrupt the democratic process.
Amidst the turmoil, the Congress party is yet to officially announce its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
However, Arthur's candidacy for the Outer Manipur constituency and JNU professor Bimol Akoijam for the Inner Manipur constituency have been widely speculated.