Congress' candidate threatened; Manipur Congress suggests Manipur DGP to provide maximum security

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has suggested the Director General Police of Manipur, Rajiv Singh, to provide maximum numbers of security personnel particularly from Central Forces like CRPF for the INC candidate for I-Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, at the earliest.

In this regard, the President of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, Keisham Meghachandra, had sent a letter to the DGP Manipur on March 29.

In the letter, Meghachandra stated that on March 28, 2024 at about 3:00 pm, some unknown persons went to Bimol Akoijam  and asked about his whereabouts to his family members. The unknown persons told his family members that Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam must attend a meeting with them at Kombirei Garden on March 29 at about 8:00 in the morning.

“The said unknown persons around 5/6 again came to the house of our candidate after around 1 hour gap and repeatedly asked the family members not to disobey their order by our candidate," said the INC President.

He said that the candidate himself and MPCC Legal Department had written applications to the DGP office as well as the office of the Chief Electoral Office, Manipur for taking up necessary security measures by providing adequate security personnel for the candidate’s protection. However, no security personnel have been deployed/provided in respect of the INC candidate Dr. Akoijam till date, he said.

In such a situation, if adequate security personnel are not provided at the earliest, there may be untoward incidents which may not be compensated in terms of money since the candidate has reasonable apprehension of his life at risk, the letter added.

MPCC stated that if such threats repeatedly happened against the candidates particularly to the INC Candidate, there might not be free and fair practice of the election.