Should people thank for loss of lives, asks Prof Bimol
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 12 2024: Highlighting the loss of over 200 lives, destruction of properties and displacement of tens of thousands of people by the crisis in the state, INC candidate for Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has asked the ruling party if people should be thankful to the BJP leaders for all these sufferings.

Ahead of the 18th Lok Sabha election, Prof Bimol attended several campaign meetings in Bishnupur district on Friday and Imphal West on Thursday.

On Thursday, addressing a campaign meeting at Taobungkhok, Prof Bimol termed the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who credited 'timely action' from the Centre for restoring peace in the state, as an act of adding salts to wounds.

He also lashed out at BJP leaders in the state for asking the public to appreciate the BJP leaders for the so-called improved situation in the state, and enquired if they are asking the people to thank BJP for the loss of lives, destruction of properties and displacement of tens of thousands of people, who are spending tough times in relief camps.

Claiming that there are some powerful hands behind the crisis in the state, the candidate pointed out that in the long history of India, any inter community clash ended in a matter of weeks.

However, the crisis in the state has been continuing for more than 11 months, thereby hinting at certain forces abetting the crisis with the ulterior motive to balkanise Manipur, he said.

There had been multiple incidents of ethnic/communal clashes in the country but in all those cases, security force's were deployed to ensure safety of public lives and properties by keeping the people in their homes.

However, the situation in the state is a repetition of the India-Pakistan partition.

Instead of keeping the people at their respective homes under heavy security, the government actively initiated mass population transfer in a few days.

Interestingly, after such swift operation, Kuki MLAs claimed that 'population transfer has completed' and started demanding separate administration.

It was only after the population transfer was completed that the Kukis bulldozed and flattened the houses in Churachandpur Khumujamba Leikai as well as other Meetei localities in Kuki dominant areas, that too under the nose of DC, district police, CRPF and central paramilitary forces, he said.

For the last 11 months, Kuki MLAs have been demanding separate administration, and they are allowed only by some divisive forces behind the crisis.

Such prolongation of the crisis could not happen without the hands of the government but they simply hid the agenda, Prof Bimol alleged and asked the whereabouts of the tens of thousands of central security forces deployed in the state in the last 11 months.

With regard to Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, Prof Bimol said that a video surfaced up about a Kuki leader of SoO group disclosing the promise made by Amit Shah to fulfil their demand of separate administration in exchange of supporting BJP in the state assembly election.

When Congress signed SoO agreement, it was only with 15 militant groups but the number has increased to 25 under the BJP rule.

While the people are demanding to scrap SoO, the BJP government at the Centre has been keeping the public in dark whether SoO, which had expired on February 29 this year, has been extended or not.

At the same time, the government is treating the militant groups as if they are under SoO agreement, he said.

Regarding the fake encounter slur cast on Congress, Prof Bimol said that the 1528 cases of fake encounters are the accumulation of cases dating back to 1979.In those years, there have been several governments led by Janata Dal, MPP, MSCP, Samata Party.

They are blaming Congress only because the party ruled the state longer than the others, he pointed out.

At the same time, Supreme Court had instructed to register FIR in 39 cases but the BJP government has not approved prosecution sanction, he maintained while demanding an explanation for resisting investigation and prosecution of the cases.

In his address, former chief minister Okram Ibobi asked BJP to surrender if they could not rule the state effectively.

It is the duty of the government to defend any external aggression but the government is allowing the crisis to continue for more than 11 months, he said.

He also ridiculed the statement of PM Modi during an interview with Assam Tribune while alleging the Central government of stirring the crisis in the state possibly with a hidden agenda.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president K Meghachandra, AICC Manipur in-charge Girish Chodankar, MLA K Ranjit, MLA Th Lokeshwar and other party leaders also attended the campaign meeting.

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