IMPHAL, June 20: An attempt of CPI party workers and supporters to continue with its previously announced rally to storm the ongoing State Assembly was foiled mid-way by the state police using mock bombs and tear gas shells this afternoon. The CPI in the meantime has announced a 12 hour bandh tomorrow crying foul over the police action.
The CPI organized protest rally was stopped by a large contingent of police personnel under the Bir Tikendrajit Flyover near the Maharaja Gambhir Singh Shopping Arcade by firing tear gas shells and mock bombs.
The incident occurred this afternoon around 1.30 pm when a large number of CPI workers and state leaders started the rally from their office, when state police personnel who were already stationed in and around the area, prevented them from proceeding beyond the Bir Tikendrajit road.
A scuffle broke out between the police and the CPI workers and supporters who pushed away the barricades installed by the police and proceeded in front of the Gambhir Singh Shopping Arcade where another police team led by Imphal SDPO Madhunimai and Dy SP Cdo S Ibomcha arrived and tried to check the protestors resulting in a pushover between the police and the protestors.
After the hustle continued for more about half an hour, the police fired several rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse the crowd.
The police also arrested several protestors who were taken away in police trucks.
Speaking to the media persons at the scene of the protest, State secretary of the CPI, Dr M Nara said that the rally was taken out by the workers of the CPI against the state government failure on several issues confronting the state.
Elaborating further, he said that the state government has failed to provide PDS items such as kerosene, rice and sugar to the poor and charged that it was unable to check the price rise of essential commodities.
The state government has failed to check the growing rate of crime against women and children in the state and to set up a highways protection force to protect both the national Highways, he continued before adding that the state government has also failed to release the salaries of the employees of several departments.
He also maintained that the state government has failed to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state and save Sharmila.
Dr M Nara further maintained that the state government has failed to identify the true owners of the drug consignments seized by the state police from various part of the state in which several police personnel and a state Minister’s son have been arrested for their involvement in the drug cases.
