IMPHAL, May 2: The All Tribal Chiefs`™ Forum has charged that the government should be held responsible for all the untoward incidents reported during its 48-hour bandh including the attack on Gwaltabi Village.
Speaking to media persons today at the PANDAM office, ATCF president Thongpu Kipgen said bandh supporters had no grudge against any individual or community and the incident at Gwaltabi is unfortunate.
The incident, he said was a result of some misunderstanding and should not be allowed to take on a communal tone.
He said on the second day of the 48-hour bandh on April 30, some commuters along the Imphal-Ukhrul road at Molveljang area scolded some bandh supporters which resulted in the bandh supporters breaking the window panes of a Tata Magic and a Bajaj Auto.
This further resulted in a clash among Gwaltabi locals and bandh supporters in which nine bandh supporters were injured, two of them seriously, Thongpu claimed.
He added the two seriously injured were taken to the RIMS hospital for treatment while the seven others were kept at the Moyongphung Police Station for security.
Later on a rumour was spread that the seven had been killed by the people of valley resulting in the attack on Gwaltabi, Thongpu told media persons.
He continued bandh supporters damaged 20 houses at Gwaltabi Village and several vehicles, for which the government must take responsibility and compensate including medical bills for the two injured bandh supporters.
All this happened due to negligence of the government, he added.
The incident is very much unfortunate, he said adding that there is no bad feeling towards any community and the bandh was not only for the people of the hills.
He further appealed to the Youth Progressive Club, Gwaltabi to suspend the indefinite bandh imposed along the Imphal-Ukhrul road called against the unwanted incident.