Imphal, May 24: Imphal today witness bitter confrontation between police and supporters of the JCILPS in front of BJP Manipur Pradesh office at Nitaypat Chuthek after the later tried to storm at the office at around 12.30 pm today afternoon. As many as 10 volunteers of the JCILPS including women and students were injured as police resorted to lathi-charge besides firing several round of tear gas shells to disperse them. The agitators too pelted stones towards the police team. A woman sub inspector and two police constables were injured after they were hit by stones.
Tiddim road was blocked for hours at Keishampat area as the irate agitators blocked vehicular movements. As the situation worsen with police firing rounds of tear gas shells shops in and around Keishampat area down their shutters.
As announced by the Women Wing of the JCILPS, state police were alerted and barricades were put ready in all offices of political parties particularly the BJP Manipur Pradesh office at Nityapat Chuthek and the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee office at BT Road Imphal. Large numbers of police personnel were also deployed at each office to prevent any untoward incidents since early morning today.
At around noon, Women and Student Wing volunteers gathered from various direction in-front of the BJP office surprising the police personnel deployed at the office. The Police too flung into action cordoning the main gate of the BJP office with iron barricades. The volunteers then confronted the police personnel for around 20 minutes. Police threw smoke bomb to disperse the agitators but the agitators rebound it. Later, the police lathi-charged the agitators. At least 10 including the student volunteers sustained injury. Two of the student volunteers identified as L. Bidyalaxmi and Pebam Bruce were picked up by the police team. The students then re-grouped at Keishampat area at around 1.30 pm and prevented vehicular movement. The police then fire rounds of tear gas shells and disperse them.
At around 2 pm another group of JCILPS volunteers tried to storm the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee office at BT road Imphal. Around 30 of the volunteers including women and students came from the newly constructed temporary market shed situated in between Johnston Higher Secondary and Bir Tikendrajit Park.
However, as police personnel deployed at the area were already alerted the agitators were prevented. Police later threw a smoke bomb creating chaos at BT road.
The JCILPS has been demanding implementation of the ILPS related Bills which has been passed by the state Legislative Assembly on August 31 last year. As the Bills remained pending with the president for over 8 months the JCILPS blamed the state government as well as the political parties over its failure to pursue the central government for getting assent of the Bills.
