MPCC nudges Govt to lodge FIR against AR
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 10 2023:
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president K Meghachandra has said that merely condemning the Pallel firing incident is not satisfactory as the state government should lodge an FIR against the AR unit involved in causing harm to the civilians and to conduct a judicial inquiry.
Addressing media persons at Congress Bhawan, here, on Sunday, Meghachandra said that Congress party deeply regrets the unfortunate firing incident at Pallel on September 8 wherein some civilians were killed and around 100 others injured in indiscriminate firing by Assam Rifles.
Why did Assam Rifles fire directly towards civilians and what action the state government has taken up is questionable, he said.
It is not satisfactory to learn that the state cabinet merely condemned the Pallel firing incident, K Meghachandra said and asked as to why the state government did not lodge an FIR and book all the involved AR personnel.
It was very immature on the part of the government to disclose that the state cabinet discussed the firing incident and merely condemned it.
The cabinet decision aimed at making known the Pallel firing incident to the Centre not only exposed weakness of the state government but also showed non-existence of any governance in Manipur today, Meghachandra said, adding that inability to take firm decision makes the state cabinet incompetent.
Asking as to why the state cabinet did not take the decision to lodge FIR against Assam Rifles, the Congress president contended that the cabinet put more emphasis oh contract work for Rs 100 crore package for construction of houses for displaced people while remaining silent on the violence affected people's voice for returning to their native villages with security.
Meghachandra also said that an FIR was lodged against him instantly in other issue.
Apart from asking as to where has the Unified Command gone and why no explanation call was sought regarding the Pallel incident, he sought information as to who allowed the Assam Rifles to fire indiscriminately on the civilians.
He also wondered if the chief minister could do nothing as Kuldiep Singh in charge of Unified Command.
If the chief minister continues this way and remains watching casualties without any concrete action, suffering of the people will increase, he cautioned.
According to K Meghachandra, people of the state have no faith on both the state and Central governments.
Accordingly, the government has to lodge FIR against the AR unit involved in the Pallel incident and conduct judicial inquiry to bring back confidence of the people on the government.
He also said the Unified Command must seek explanation call from the officer of the AR unit involved in the Pallel firing incident.