Imphal, Jul 12 (PTI) Manipur Congress president O Ibobi Singh on Sunday said the Assembly election due early next year is very crucial to decide the future of the state and alleged that law and order has totally collapsed in the state.
Singh also condemned the incident at Kanto Sabal in Imphal West district on Saturday when a mob of nearly 600 set ablaze at least three abandoned houses.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, Singh said, “Yesterday’s incident at Kanto Sabal was very surprising to us. However, such acts are not new and every now and then something unfortunate and unwanted always happens in the state.
He said, “Kanto Sabal is located just by the side of a huge army camp, and a large number of central forces are also being deployed in the area.
He also claimed that state forces and fire tenders were also not being allowed to enter the area when the abandoned houses were burnt.
The former three-time Manipur chief minister said, “We, in fact want to question if President’s rule is being continued in the state or not. The absence of any statement from the state Home minister on the incident is very unfortunate. We also want to reiterate that law and order has totally collapsed. Democracy is being wiped out from Manipur. How long can we tolerate such violent acts as a Manipuri and as a citizen of this country.” He also said, “We don’t even know if the state government is still in existence or being controlled from the Centre through remote control.
“The time has come for a fresh mandate in the state and let the people decide whether BJP shall continue or be wiped out. The coming elections are going to be a crucial one to decide the future of Manipur,” Singh added.
Assembly elections in Manipur are due in February 2027.
Earlier, the Congress welcomed the joining of 11 people, including a former woman police officer, Th Brinda Devi and former BJP candidate Anwar Hussain, into the grand old party. PTI COR RG
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