IMPHAL, July 26: BJP Manipur Pradesh president Thounaojam Chaoba has declared that the State government is fooling the public by saying that it cannot implement the Inner Line Permit system in the State without the consent of the Parliament, although the State Assembly has already passed it.
Speaking at a media conference, Chaoba said the demand for ILP is a burning issue; however, the government has seldom listened to the public voice.
He demanded that the government to implement the Inner Line Permit System in the State as is done in neighbouring States of Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh and fulfil the public’s desire.
The government has full power to implement ILP in the State, simple examples being implementation of the Act in neighbouring Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh by their own governments, he said.
No permission is needed from the Parliament to implement ILP, Chaoba said.
If the government is willing, it is nothing, the State cabinet can just recommend it and discuss it in the State Assembly to pass it and pressurise the Centre, he said
He further demanded the immediate release of all students who have been arrested by the police during the ILP agitation and warned that he will inform the Centre of the happenings, in case the students are not released at the earliest.
The police action on the small students during their agitation demanding ILP was too harsh, he lamented before adding that the party strongly condemns the violation of human rights of the students by the police with their baton charges and boot-kicks against the unarmed students.
Although, such inhumane assault of the students was telecast by the TV channels, the government has decided to remain silent against the police excesses, he said.
When the party wanted to complaint about the blatant disregard of human rights by the police before the Manipur Human Rights Commission, the commission was found defunct, he lamented.
In this regard the BJP, State unit had written to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who had directed the State government to make functional the now defunct commission, he continued.
Demanding why the government has continued to remain silent against such blatant violation of human rights, he said the government has failed to even announce the names of the police officers involved.
