IMPHAL, Aug 25: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has today reaffirmed in the Assembly House that the recent bomb blast at Sangakpham Bazar was a handy work of NSCN (IM) targeting the elected members of autonomous district councils.
Chief Minister stated this while replying to a calling attention motion raised jointly by senior opposition MLA Okram Joy and MLA RK Anand today on Sangakpham blast which occurred on August 1 in which five persons including two minor schools girls were killed and eight others were wounded.
Ibobi further stated that one of the persons killed in the blast was a cadre of NSCN (IM), identified as Anthony Kamei from Churachandpur. He died while planning to attack the chairman of Senapati ADC, R.S. Henry whose convoy was passing the site of the blast on that day, he asserted.
The cadre was waiting for the convoy with a scooter fitted with the powerful IED. The bomb exploded due to some technical failure, Chief Minister stated.
“Police arrested a rifleman of 4th IRB, named J. Kamei who was also involved in the bomb plan and also a relative of the deceased Anthony Kamei. The personnel is a member of the security escort party provided to the ADC chairman and he passed on information about movement of the chairmen to Anthony. He is now in judicial custody after he was arrested by the police from near SBI Secretariat branch”, stated Chief Minister.
Despite of NSCN (IM) denial of involvement in Sangakpham blast, Ibobi claimed that the parents of Anthony confirmed he was a cadre of NSCN (IM) and he came to home two/ three days back before the blast.
Though the NSCN (IM) did not say anything about its opposition to ADCs, some Naga bodies were strongly against the constitution of district councils.
Ibobi further maintained that investigations revealed NSCN (IM) was planning to attack the elected members of the ADCs.
He also blamed NSCN (IM) for the attack on the convoy of MLA Wungnaoshang Keishing in which eight persons including six personnel of Manipur Rifles were killed in April this year.
“During my last trip to Delhi I raised the issue of terrorist activities of NSCN (IM) before the Prime Minister and Home Minister. I urged both the leaders to let the NIA investigate into the NSCN (IM) activities,” Chief Minister Ibobi said. He further stated that the Centre has taken serious note of the activities of NSCN (IM) and assured him the NIA to probe the recent activities.
“If such terrorist activities are carried out by the outfit, the ongoing peace talks will have no meaning,” Chief Minister contended.
Raising the matter, opposition members Okram Joy and RK Anand accused the Centre of creating havens for NSCN (IM) on the garb of peace talks.
“The state government should declare NSCN (IM) as a terrorist organisation and take actions against those involved in terrorist activities. The outfit had even killed a couple recently,” Okram Joy demanded.
