Probe Into Manipur Twin Blasts Handed Over to NIA
Congress slams Centre, BJP MLA suspects involvement of external forces
Guwahati: Amid the simmering tension and 24-hour bandh call, the state administration on Tuesday decided to handover the investigation into twin IED blasts in Manipur’s Bishnupur district to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Two persons were injured in the explosions that are feared to paralyse the ongoing rehabilitation process of those displaced in ethnic violence that rocked the state for the past two years.
Pointing out that the case has been forwarded to the NIA for further investigation, police in a statement said, “Combing and search operations are being carried out in the adjoining areas, and security has been strengthened to prevent any further escalation of violence. Investigation and operational efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for the blasts.”
The BJP MLA and former minister Khemchand Singh who on Tuesday suspected involvement of some “external forces” condemned the incident of bomb blasts and regretted, “The blast occurred at a time when different civil society organisations are trying hard for the return of peace in Manipur. It can be recalled that a firing incident too occurred a t Torbung recently.”
He said, “I wondered why such an incident occurred at a time when the Government of India and the President's Rule administration are working hard to bring peace and normalcy in the state. This is also a time when internally displaced persons (IDPs) belonging t o both communities are trying to return to their homes.”
Meanwhile Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh has also criticised the Centre over a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the state’s Governor, Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, alleging that the deliberations failed to provide a roadmap for peace and normalcy in the violence-hit state.
He said that an IED exploded around 6 am on Monday at Nganukon, injuring two local residents. The incident, he claimed, underscored the failure of the Centre’s approach even after the high-level discussions.
Accusing the central government of lacking the intent to resolve the crisis, the Congress leader alleged that New Delhi was “not interested in bringing peace and normalcy to Manipur” and described the prevailing situation as “of its own making”. He further claimed that the Centre was deliberately prolonging the President's Rule in the state, even at the cost of constitutional principles.
Several organisations, including the Indigenous People Organisation and the All Manipur Students' Union, have called for a 24-hour shutdown across the state, starting 12 a.m. on Wednesday, to protest the blast.
Meitei civil organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) demanded an immediate, transparent and time-bound investigation into the blasts. (EOM)