Manipur violence: AAP stages protest in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, July 25 (IANS) Hundreds of AAP workers from Punjab, comprising party’s ministers and legislators, on Tuesday held a protest in Chandigarh against the Central government for violence in Manipur.

Police used cane-charge to disperse the protesters, injuring several of them.

AAP leaders raised slogans against the BJP governments at the Centre and blamed Prime Minister Modi and Manipur Chief Minister M. Biren Singh for the situation.

The protesting AAP leaders demanded dismissal of the government and imposition of the President's rule there.

AAP leaders said the whole country has seen the heart-wrenching video of Manipur. There has been disturbance in the state for the past two-three months.

Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Khundian said: “If the BJP government at the Centre wanted, this incident would have been avoided. They are not even holding a discussion about the incident in Parliament.”

Another Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said a BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh raped a girl and it took a year to register an FIR against him. “After his conviction in that case, his wife was given a ticket by the BJP's Yogi government.”

“Now the same thing is happening in Manipur also, it took two months for this incident to come out,” he added.

AAP working President Principal Budh Ram said nothing can be more unfortunate than the cruelty being meted out to the daughters of the country by the Beti Padhao Beti Bachao government.

On the other hand, minister Lalchand Kataruchak said the silence of Prime Minister Modi on the issue of Manipur “shows the cowardice of the BJP”. 

But the Aam Aadmi Party will continue to raise the voice of the people of Manipur, he added.