Iron Lady declines AAP proposal to contest Lok Sabha polls
IMPHAL, February 14: The Aam Adami Party (AAP) which has been leading a coalition government in Delhi has proposed to Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been undergoing fast unto death struggle demanding removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 from Manipur, to contest on AAP ticket in the coming inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency at the 16th Lok Sabha Election 2014 which is supposed to be to held in the month of April or May of this year.
This was communicated by Sharmila to a group of media persons at court complex of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Imphal East when she appeared in the said court for a routine physical appearance.
After having appeared in the courtroom, Sharmila prayed to the Magistrate to allow her to interact with media persons and the Magistrate instructed her to submit the prayer in written following which her counsel submitted written prayer to the Magistrate.
In the prayer, her counsel mentioned the names of the media persons with time allotment of 30 minutes and the Magistrate asked her whether the media persons would meet individually or as a group. She opted to meet them in group.
However, the Magistrate allotted 20 minutes for the purpose inside the court complex and the commander of her security would provide security coverage during the press meet.
During the press meet, Sharmila told media persons that there is a proposal from Aam Adami Party to contest the forthcoming parliamentary election of India from inner Manipur parliamentary seat. To gain momentum of the proposal, its national executive member Prasanta Bhushan has today informed her about the election proposal she added and further told her interaction with Prasanta narrating that if she is elected to the parliament of India, then her demand for removal of AFSPA would be more effective.
In her reply to it, she had told that the present election is only won by the rich people through money power, Sharmila narrated and added that this practice has defaced democracy in the country. She further said that if she were elected to parliament and if her demand is not materialised, then people will burn her effigy adding that she has pondered over the issue hundred of times and decided not to mix her struggle with politics.
Besides this, Sharmila also commented on the racial discrimination in the national capital saying that racial discriminations have been happening in the national capital of India against NE and Manipur people as the mainland India people failed to treat NE people as an integral part of the nation. She further said the Manipur was a kingdom and they has forcibly merged Manipur to Indian Union adding that India government have subdued any movement by labelling a terrorist tag with huge expenditure.
She further informed the media persons that she has proposed to International Red Cross Society on donation of some amount from her side and the proposal was rejected on the ground of conflict situation in the state and Jammu and Kashmir. She found a news report in the news papers of protesting against AFSPA by All Manipur Rickshaw Drivers and Pullers Welfare Association.
In this connection, she said that she would like to donate some amount to them and she made an appeal through media about this as she did not know their office.
Sharmila has appeared before the court today in relation with a case of Porompat police station registered under FIR No. 60(3)2013 PRT PS U/S 309 IPC and she will be appeared on March, 2014.