Congress MP asks Centre to take responsibility for deaths, destructions in Manipur

Imphal: Congress Lok Sabha MP from Manipur Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on Saturday asked the Central government to take responsibility for the deaths and destructions reported from the state which has been in the grip of an ethnic unrest for the past 16 months now.

Akoijam, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Inner Manipur seat where he defeated BJP’s Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh earlier this year, said that despite 60,000 security personnel deployed in the state since the ethnic violence broke out in May last year, the situation has not improved.

“You (Centre) have a puppet regime in Manipur, but everybody knows that under the command of the Government of India, the security forces are acting and other aspects are being looked into. I strongly urge the Government of India to treat Manipur as part of the country,” said Akoijam, who was a professor in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi.

In a video message, the academician-turned-politician said that the Central government should protect the respect and dignity of the people of Manipur, and not do any politics based on communal agenda.

The Lok Sabha member’s charge against the Central government came after the killing of six persons during the past 24 hours in Bishnupur and Jiribam districts.

Five persons were killed in separate incidents of violence in Jiribam district on Saturday, while on Friday, a 78-year-old man was killed and six others sustained injuries as suspected Kuki militants targeted former Chief Minister Mairembam Koireng’s residence in Bishnupur district by lobbing a powerful bomb.

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday evening met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and briefed him about the prevailing situation in the state.

The Chief Minister met the Governor after meeting the BJP MLAs and other coalition partners at the Secretariat.

An official said that at the meeting, the Chief Minister discussed the current law and order situation in the state, especially in the aftermath of the recent violent incidents.

–IANS