The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) electoral office in Manipur was on Wednesday ransacked by activists from Kangleipak Students’ Association in protest against the alleged extrajudicial killings carried out by security forces over the years. The incident comes barely three days before the north-eastern state votes in the first phase of the assembly election.
The student group reached the BJP office to complain about the lack of progress in an investigation into the encounter killings. On not finding any senior leaders with whom they could raise their concerns, the activists got agitated and went on a rampage.
“We first went to the local Congress office, where we had a conversation with senior leaders over extra-judicial killings. Then, we headed to the BJP office but couldn’t find any senior leader,” one of the attackers told InUth.
The BJP, however, has squarely blamed Congress for the attack, saying that almost all of the extrajudicial killings were carried out when Congress was in power at the Centre.
“It was the BJP who has been raising the issue of extrajudicial killings. It is at the top of our agenda in Manipur. We have promised to investigate all the killings if we are voted to power,” a poll strategist at the BJP, Shubhrastha, told InUth.
Shubhrastha claimed that the student outfit couldn’t have carried out the attack at the BJP headquarters without the backing from Congress.
“Congress is scared because they clearly see a wave against the Okram Ibobi Singh government this election. We believe that Congress is behind this attack,” she said.
Shubhrastha, who is also an assistant editor at India Foundation Journal, said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Manipur on Tuesday was a “damp squib”, which was making it nervous.
BJP’s general secretary Ram Madhav took to Twitter to condemn the attack, even criticising the local police for being a “mute spectator.”
Panicked Congress sent goons on BJP office in Imphal. Police was a mute spectator. Lot of damage n destruction caused to office property
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) March 1, 2017
(Source: Twitter/Ram Madhav)
#Congress knows people will throw them out of office. It has nothing left to do other than violence. it sent goons to destroy #BJP office. pic.twitter.com/GfnDxXGJ9S
— BJP Manipur (@BJP4Manipur) March 1, 2017
(Source: Twitter/ BJP Manipur)
Senior party leaders being threatened, open goondaism, violence – is this FOE? Whose agenda is shielding @INCIndia 9/n @rammadhavbjp
— Shubhrastha (@Shubhrastha) March 1, 2017
Manipur’s top cop rubbished BJP’s criticism accusing police of inaction. Manipur’s Director General of Police (DGP) LM Khaute told reporters that the police was investigating the attack.
#breaking Dgp police comments on attack on @BJP4Manipur office.@rammadhavbjp @rahulkanwal @bhupendrachaube @RajatSethi86 @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/udKsFbVyWl
— Jan Ki Baat (@jankibaat1) March 1, 2017
(Source: Twitter/Jan Ki Baat)
(with inputs from Chandrani Sinha in Manipur)
