Imphal: Amid accusations, the Assam Rifles (AR) Director General Lieutenant General PC Nair has strongly refuted allegations of siding with one community in the ongoing ethnic violence in this sensitive border state.
Dismissing reports suggesting bias as rumours and falsehoods driven by specific agendas, PC Nair told in an interview that the force has maintained a neutral stance in Manipur since May 3, 2024, the day the ongoing communal clash between the Kukis and Meiteis erupted.
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The number of weapons confiscated and apprehension/arrest of suspects made by the Assam Rifles are from the Kuki-dominated areas.
Even an AR Jawan also lost his life in the Jiribam district recently while trading gun fires with the Kuki militants, PC Nair said.
Nair’s statement came after various outfits including the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) announced to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India to withdraw Assam Rifles from Manipur, citing the recent statement of former Additional Director General (ADG) of Border Security Force (BSF) PK Mishra among other reasons.
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Moreover, the Manipur Keithel Phambi Apunba Lup (MAKPAL), a powerful market women outfit has slammed the state legislators for continuing to remain as mute spectators on this front accusing the Assam Rifles of being in cahoots with Kuki militants.
Ibeyaima Devi, general secretary, MAKPAL pointed out that even a notable personality such as PK Mishra, former ADG of BSF had recently addressed the alleged collusion of a para-military force with Kuki militants in a TV interview.
Claiming that AR is involved in providing aid to “Kuki narco-terrorists”, she condemned them for their alleged activities and called for their withdrawal from the state.