Cong dubs 'viral report' baseless
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 09 2024: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee working president Kh Devabrata has categorically stated that the Congress did not sign any agreement with Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and its associated organisations before the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters at Congress Bhavan Imphal today, Devabrata said the rumour that has emerged and gone viral on social media regarding the party signing an agreement with KIM and its associated organisations is false and baseless.

It is true that the Congress' election manifesto did say about "bringing a political and administrative settlement that will be satisfactory to all the people of Manipur," but the party has not signed any agreement with KIM or its associated organisations, he said.

The rumour about Congress' candidate and now MP elect Alfred Kanngam S Arthur meeting KIM in Guwahati and Tuibong and signing an agreement is false and baseless, he said.

The Congress party has had talks with Alfred regarding the matter.

There has been no signing of any agreement, Devabrata said.

The spread of such rumour is very unfortunate.

Publication of such information must be backed by proof and evidence and copy of the purported agreement, he said.

MPCC has approached and enquired about the article with an Imphal based paper which published the news.

The paper has claimed it received the information through a WhatsApp Group and they suspect the WhatsApp account which sent the information to be fake, he said.

Devabrata added that MPCC has filed a complaint with the cyber crime police station.

Further commenting on the violence at Jiribam district, Devabrata said Congress vehemently condemns the "ethnic cleansing kind of violence" and it holds the State Government responsible for it.

Jiribam is a sensitive and strategic place and the State Government should have taken up pre-emptive measures to avoid violence, he said.

The present situation in Jiribam is akin to giving a free hand to the perpetrators of the violence and evacuating vulnerable people, making them displaced folks, he added.

He asserted that the Government has taken the people lightly and easily appeasable by handing out few compensation for their losses.

The State Government has cracked down tough on even reporters for trivial matters, but it has acted soft and failed to act against armed miscreants who have attacked innocent civilians, Devabrata said.

There is still time for the Government to empower strengthen the security forces and make them efficient, he said, urging it to effectively curb the violence in Jiribam.

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