Manipur Police File FIR against Assam Rifles; State BJP Urges PM to Replace Force

Manipur Police have registered an FIR accusing the personnel of the ninth battalion of Assam Rifles of blocking their movement in Bishnupur district.

A police officer in Imphal said that Assam Rifles jawans, led by their officers, had last week blocked police vehicles on the Kwakta Gothol road while the police were going to undertake operations against militants.

The Assam Rifles officers, however, said the para-military troopers were undertaking their task assigned by the command headquarters to ensure security of the people and to prevent clashes between Kuki and Meitei cadres.

Meanwhile, after various Meitei organisations, including the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and Meira Paibi, the ruling BJP in the state also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to replace Assam Rifles with any other central paramilitary force in the state.

A letter jointly signed by state BJP President A. Sharda Devi and Vice-President Chidananda said, "The role of Assam Rifles with regard to the ethnic unrest and in maintaining peace and tranquility in the state has been under considerable criticism and public outrage."

Since the outbreak of the ethnic violence on May 3, the Assam Rifles troopers completely failed to maintain their impartial role to restore peace and normalcy in the state, the letter said.

The Manipur government, by an order issued on Monday, replaced Assam Rifles by the state police and the CRPF at the check-gate in Moirang Lamkhai in Bishnupur district after fresh violence erupted there last week.

The notification, issued by Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) L. Kailun, said "The check-point at Moirang Lamkhai on the road from Bishnupur to Kangvai shall be manned by the civil police and 128 Bn CRPF in place of Assam Rifles."