10 Manipur MLAs, 7 from BJP, allege ‘police excesses’

GUWAHATI: Ten tribal MLAs of Manipur, seven of them from the governing BJP, have alleged “inhuman excesses” by state police on villagers during their hunt for those who killed a cop in Moreh on Tuesday, and appealed to the Union home ministry (MHA) to intervene and replace the personnel with “neutral central forces”.
“While the loss of life of the officer in the line of duty is condoled, there has been continuing excesses and atrocities perpetrated by the state forces against our people in Moreh and other places in Tengnoupal district,” the MLAs have said in a letter.
They alleged that on November 1, a village in the district was attacked by Manipur police commandos, and properties and vehicles destroyed.
“In the operations at Moreh, the state forces resorted to arson, indiscriminate firing, looting of civilian properties.... and unprovoked brutality, forcing common people, including women and children, to flee into the nearby jungle,” the letter alleges.
The MLAs have acknowledged that the state police may be hard-pressed to nab the culprits responsible for killing of SDPO Chingtham Anand, but added that “we cannot condone the unrestrained illegal and barbaric activities of the state police personnel”.
Asked about the allegations, officials told PTI that the operations at Moreh were conducted jointly by the state and central forces in a manner that there was no violation of civilians’ rights.
The MLAs appeal has come amid massive public protests, mostly by tribal women across Kangpokpi district, demanding immediate removal of state forces. They urged PM Narendra Modi to step in.
Media cell coordinator of Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Ng Lun Kipgen, alleged that CM N. Biren Singh had “misused his powers in deploying state forces” in Moreh and other areas.
“Enough is enough and it is high time you (PM) intervened, if you really want India to remain as one,” Kipgen said.
He clarified that the protest and the total shutdown was not imposed against the government of India but against the “excessive use of executive power by one of your chief ministers.”
The protestors held placards, some demanding “withdrawal of partisan forces” and others asking “where is peace after six months of unrest”.