IMPHAL: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded action by the union government over recent reports of “physical assault” on the party’s Manipur unit chief K Meghachandra by members of Arambai Tenggol – “an armed Meitei militant group” – in Imphal on January 24.
Manipur Congress president K Meghachandra was reportedly allegedly “physically assaulted” my members of the Arambai Tenggol at the Kangla Fort in Imphal during a meeting called by the organisation to discuss the crisis in the state.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to union home minister Amit Shah expressing concern over the alleged assault on Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra and criticizing continued silence and inaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Congress president, in his letter, urged union home minister Amit Shah to take immediate action to restore democracy and the rule of law in the strife-torn Northeast state of Manipur at the earliest.
At least three MLAs in Manipur, including two from the ruling BJP, were allegedly “beaten up, abused” by radical armed Meitei group, Arambai Tenggol, during the January 24 Kangla Fort meeting.
According to a Manipur MLA, who attended the Kangla Fort meeting on January 24, three legislators “were beaten up when they refused to agree with the demands of the group”.
“We are too scared to say anything since dissent would mean the group would attack homes of MLAs and burn them down,” the MLA said.
“MLAs who disagreed with them and refused to take the oath were beaten up, there were heated arguments, but, ultimately, they had to give in to their demand,” the MLA said.
As many as 37 MLAs of Manipur and the state’s 2 MPs — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — had answered the group’s “summons” for the meeting, where they took an oath to “protect the integrity of the state”.