Manipur CM suspends two policemen for excess

Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 19 (EMN): Manipur chief minister, N Biren, said one sub-inspector and a constable have been put under suspension after analysing the video clipping of the incident on Monday’s scuffle between the students and police in Imphal.
Biren was responding to questions posed by reporters on the government’s action against those police personnel, who were responsible for manhandling the student protestors on the sideline of visiting the injured students presently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Imphal on Thursday.

The chief minister was accompanied by the deputy chief minister Y Joykumar and other cabinet ministers, OSD to chief minister Sumant Singh, SP of Imphal West Jogeshchandra H during the visit.

Many students were injured during Monday’s incident, wherein both boys and girls volunteers of democratic students alliance of Manipur tried to storm the Raj Bhavan and BJP office in Imphal demanding immediate end to the Manipur University crisis in academic interest.

General secretary of Desam students body, Sheetal Oinam, got fractured on his left hand after a truck ran over during a scuffle.
Biren mentioned that the medical expenses of the injured students would be borne by the state government. He also wished for speedy recovery of the injured students.

Regarding the ongoing situation in the state arising out of the students protest demanding removal of Manipur University vice chancellor, Prof AP Pandey, on alleged financial and administrative irregularities, he said that they have met the Governor, Dr. Najma Heptulla, on Wednesday and apprised her of the situation. He said that the Governor had already informed the President of India about the gravity of the current situation.

While empathising with the student community, Biren stated that the state government had persuaded the central government to form a committee headed by a retired chief justice of a high court to investigate into the allegations. He added that Prof. Pandey would be removed automatically is found to be guilty.

Meanwhile, the 48 hours general strike called by the Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU) demanding for removal of the vice chancellor Prof. Adya Prasad Pandey for his alleged financial and administrative irregularities continued to affect the normal life in Manipur for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

However, there is no report of any untoward incidents during the course of the general strike which began from July 17 midnight.
MUSU, which launched the strike from May 30, 2018, continues to stick to their demands for immediate removal of the vice chancellor Prof. Pandey. The students’ body along with Manipur University Teachers’ Association and Manipur University Staffs Association in a joint meeting on Wednesday resolved not to provide any cooperation to the new Fact Finding Committee reconstituted by Union HRD ministry to look into the allegations against the vice chancellor.