Over 20 MLAs of Manipur urge Centre to act against those behind killing of two students

 Armed Forces should be instructed to be more humane in dealing with such kinds of delicate situation. Those involved should be given punishment as per law, says BJP MLA

A banner put up on a road in protest against the killing of two Meitei youths by suspected Kuki Zo militants, in Imphal West district.: PTI picture.

PTI, New Delhi, 28.09.23 : More than 20 MLAs of Manipur, currently camping in Delhi, have urged the Centre to take action against those behind the kidnapping and killing of two youths in the restive state.

The legislators have also urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure that the CBI probe is expedited.

"Most Legislators present in Delhi have already asked central government to deliver justice at the earliest. Let us ensure justice is given in the next few days by arresting the culprits involved," one of the MLAs Rajkumar Imo Singh wrote on X.

He urged people in Manipur not to indulge in violence and said all forms of agitation should be done peacefully.

"Let us ensure justice is given to the murdered students at the earliest," he said.

Singh said if the CBI is not able to deliver justice within the next few days, "let us sit down here in Delhi along with our people to take a new course of action".

"But let us also ensure that our common cause to save indigenous people is not diverted, our common cause to ensure that illegal migrants are all detected, action against insurgent groups breaking ground rules are taken up, border fencing is completed," he said.

The BJP MLA said everyone should stand united in one voice.

"If we are disjointed at this point of time, people seeking new pastures will be smiling and laughing at us making us all come up against each other. Let us all Stand Together for Manipur," he appealed.

Singh also strongly condemned the alleged "act of barbarism by the armed forces" and asked why they can't use water cannons and other forms to stop such agitation.

"Armed Forces should be instructed to be more humane in dealing with such kinds of delicate situation. Those involved should be given punishment as per law," he said.

Violent protests rocked Manipur's capital for two days since Tuesday as thousands of students protested the kidnapping and killing of two youths, pictures of whose bodies had gone viral. On Tuesday night, a clash occurred between RAF personnel and locals over the murder of the duo, prompting the law enforcers to lob tear gas shells and fire rubber bullets at the agitators and baton-charge them, leaving 45 of the protesters, mostly students, injured.

On Wednesday, around 20 protesters were injured in similar clashes with security forces.

More than 180 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.