IMPHAL, February 22: The Joint Co-ordination Committee of All Manipur Municipality Employees and Workers and the Imphal Municipal Employee Union have condemned the arrest of three of its members by the police today for supporting the 13 hour bandh called by the committee.
The committee today called a press conference at the Imphal Municipal Council compound condemning the arrest.
The three were arrested while trying to close down shops as part of the bandh. The three identified as Th Sobita, K Rani Rongmei and Md Tayab Ali were later released by the City police around 2pm.
Speaking to media persons, publicity secretary of the committee, Th Sobita said that since December 17, 2013, the committee had been carrying out an indefinite strike regarding their demands.
She said their demands had been submitted to the state chief minister who also holds the MAHUD portfolio.
However, there has been no invite for talks any action from the side of the government, she lamented.
They had continued their strike with a sit in aprotest at the IMC gate till today, she continued.
The failure of the government to act on their demands has forced the committee to call the bandh today, which was announced in various local newspapers, she asserted.
Around 10 am today, the three members of the committee were arrested by a team of the police while they were asking shop owners to shut down their shops, she continued.
While condemning the arrest, she said they will continue with their agitations unless the government response positively to their demands.
On the other hand, the 13 hour bandh failed to impact normal life in the state today.
Inter district and inter-state passenger services were not interrupted and the vehicles were seen plying on all roads in the state capital.
Shops, business establishment, petrol pumps also remained open during the Bandh called by the Joint committee and there is no report of any untoward incident happen during the bandh.