The Manipur Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), on Thursday torched effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in front of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) main gate condemning the use of abusive words against President Droupadi Murmu.
They also burnt effigies at Keishampat Junction in front of Manipur Police.
Some members of BJYM, led by its state president M Barish Singh, demonstrated a protest in front of MPCC main gate during which they burnt effigy of Sonia Gandhi while shouting slogan like “Congress party Murdabad”, “Sonia Gandhi Murdabad”, “Rahul Gandhi Murdabad”, “BJP Zindabad, Narendra Modi Zindabad”, etc.
When the security personnel posted at the MPCC tried to shut the main gate, the protestors threatened the security personnel with one of them even kicking the main gate of MPCC while the security forces were trying to close it.
Meanwhile, members of state BJP, led by its president A Sharda Devi, also held a rally from state BJP office towards Keishampat junction where they burnt an effigy of national Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in front of Manipur Police.
In a video circulated on social media it was seen that one of the police personnel came to control the agitation but was helpless as the protestors burnt the effigy.
Speaking to media on the sideling of the protest at Keishampat Junction, state BJP president A Sharda Devi said state BJP strongly condemned Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for using the term “Rashtra Patni” towards President Droupati Murmu instead of “Rashtrapati”.
She said the untoward behaviour of a Congress leader towards the President of India is discrimination towards the women society, schedule tribe, including the poorer section of the society.
Sharda said national Congress president Sonia Gandhi must apologised for the behaviour of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and that the Congress must stop discriminating the women society, minority community and poorer section of the society.
Later in the evening, state Congress leader N Popilal Singh strongly condemned the protest demonstration carried by BJYM led by its state president M Barish in front of MPCC main gate.
He said, through social media, that the party also strongly condemned the threatening of security personnel posted at the party’s office. It is a shame that BJYM demonstrated the protest by taking advantage of where no members of Congress were in the party office, Popilal said.
Manipur is a well-disciplined society and since time immemorial, it has been giving basic needs even to the enemy at the time of need and that has been continuing till date. However, the unfortunate incident occurred in front of MPCC main gate by some of the ‘goons’ of BYJM shows that it was done due to lack of discipline, he added.
MPCC has been following the strict discipline in politics unlike the BJP, said Popilal.
He appealed not to repeat similar acts in the future or that the state BJP-led government would be responsible for the consequences.
MPCC has lodged a complaint at City police in connection with the incident. If the complaint was not taken into FIR within 24 hours, then Congress party will knock at the door of the High Court of Manipur, he added.
Popilal said those who were involved during the incident should choose whether they wanted to be a ‘goon’ or ‘politician’.
As per sources, it is reported that the complaint filed at the City police against BJYM members including its state president M Barish, is yet to register as FIR till the filing of this report.
Meanwhile, with the ongoing second session of 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, a huge number of security personnel including para military forces are deployed in the Imphal City as precautionary measures to prevent from unwanted incidents.
