TMB Report
Imphal: State BJP Spokesperson Mayanglambam Sureshkumar and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Manipur Office Secretary Ningombam Alex were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gun point at Sanakeithel area under Lamphel Police Station, Imphal West late Thursday.
Sources said Sureshkumar and Alex were physically assaulted allegedly at gun point by unknown armed assailants around 9.30 PM when they were returning to the rented room of Sureshkumar after attending a meeting at the state BJP head office in Imphal.
When the duo reached Sanakeithel area, some armed persons came in a four-wheeler stopped them at gun point, pulled out Sureshkumar from the vehicle and thrashed him.
Alex who tried to intervene, was also beaten up by the assailants. After thrashing both of them, the unidentified assailants fled from the scene immediately in a vehicle by taking advantage of the darkness, the source said.
A team of Lamphel Police Station and Imphal Police Station rushed to the spot and the injured were admitted to Raj Medicity.
Alex sustained some minor injuries while Sureshkumar suffered injuries in his face, chest and legs. Sureshkumar was further admitted to the ICU of the same hospital late at night due to health complications. Condition of them is reported to be stable now.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh has strongly condemned the incident.
The Chief Minister on his Facebook wall said that the injured are undergoing treatment at Raj Medicity, and the State Government has launched a massive search to arrest the culprits involved in the assault. Police have registered a case in connection with the incident.
It may be mentioned that BJP Manipur Pradesh Spokesperson Sureshkumar and Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress leader Ningthoujam Popilal engaged in a heated argument during a live panel discussion on “60 MLAs as warriors of War on drugs” hosted by Impact TV on Wednesday.
Following the programme, around 30 members of BJYM stormed the Impact TV office. With the news about the plan of attacking the Congress spokesperson Popilal doing the rounds, Popilal and his associates did not go out from the TV channel’s office. After the tension calmed down, Popilal came out but the group of BJYM members allegedly managed to attack him there.
On getting the information, a team of City Police Station rushed to the spot and managed to pacify the tension. Latt.er, the police team escorted Popilal up to his residence, the source added.
Meanwhile, BJYM Manipur Pradesh President Barish Sharma has strongly condemned the assault of Sureshkumar and Alex and demanded to nab the culprits.
Briefing reporters at Thambal Shanglen, Barish Sharma said that physical assault and personal attack after getting defeated in political debate in democratic country is very unfortunate.
He said that such barbaric action, uncalled for in democracy, will remain indeletable in Manipur history.
He said that some suspected persons dragged Suresh and Alex in an isolated place in Lamphel area and thrashed them. He charged that it was carried out by a youth wing leader of a political party.
Meanwhile, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has also condemned the assault of BJP Spokesperson Sureshkumar Mayanglangbam.
MPCC on its official Facebook page decried the cordon and search operation conducted by a combined team of Manipur Police at the house of Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee President Ningthoujam Popilal at Phayeng.
“Such draconian acts of Manipur Police is nothing but murder of democracy under dictatorial BJP government in Manipur. MPCC strongly condemn such police action,” MPCC said.
The police team also allegedly threatened and mentally tortured the family members of Popilal.
Popilal on his Facebook page clarified that he has nothing to do with the assault of Sureshkumar Mayanglangbam as he was at home teaching some students of his locality when the incident took place.
He said that after the tuition, he went out of his house to witness Phayeng Lai Haraoba. He said that the police raid at his house mentally harrassed his family members.
He also claimed that his grandmother felt unconscious and is now lying in comma, questioning who will take responsibility for this.
Meanwhile, some unidentified persons attacked the MPCC office at BT Road by lobbing petrol bombs and torching the office gate at about 10.40 PM on Friday, a source said. Police have recovered petrol bombs at the Congress office gate in Imphal.
MPCC Senior Spokesperson N Bupenda Meitei has strongly condemned the incident, terming it a cowardly act of violence.
The entrance gate of the Congress office remained closed when the unidentified persons hurled the petrol bombs at the office.
Security personnel guarding the Congress office saw a light of burning fire at the office gate and managed to douse it. The assailants fled from the scene after committing the crime, added the source.
