Imphal, December 30: Security personnel successfully foiled an attempt by a large number of angry protesters to disrupt the public hearing conducted by the Review Committee inside the premises of the Manipur Human Rights Comission this afternoon at around 1.A large number of women folk belonging to the hardliner faction of the Apunba Lup marched towards the MHRC complex at around 1 pm shouting slogans against the Central Govt's decision to review the Act and also demanding the immediate removal of the AFSPA.

However, the protesters were quickly turned away by the security personnel who immediately swung into action on seeing the protesters.

Talking to media-persons, some of the women protesters expressed their dissatisfaction over the State Govt's decision to hold public hearing despite strong opposition from the public and further said that the action of the State Govt was nothing but complete betrayal of the people aspirations.

They also said that they would continue their agitation as long as AFSPA is imposed in the State.

In another incident today, volunteers of the Apunba Lup set ablaze effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister O Ibobi and the two members of the Review Committee at Keishamthong Longjam Leirak as a mark of protest against the Govt's failure to repeal the Act from the State.

Meanwhile, the hardliner group of the Apunba Lup while coming down heavily on the moderate faction for supporting the Govt's decision to review the Act has termed the moderate's actions as nothing but the work of a group of reactionaries who has no concern for the people of Manipur.

In a statement jointly signed by Jotin Salam, Ch Premita and RK Bhumi, the publicity Bid to disrupt hearing foiled committee of the hardliner faction of the Apunba Lup said that the visit of the Central Review Committee team was another ploy of the Central Govt to hoodwink the public on the AFSPA issue and has no real intention of the lifting the dreaded act from the State.

They also questioned the Central Govt's motives behind the constitution of a review committee when no such committee or any other similar body was constituted while repealing POTA from the country.

They further charged that the Review team is here in the State not to repeal the AFSPA but to look for weak points in the people's armoury so that the draconian laws could be continued by giving one reason or the other.

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