IMPHAL: Police on late Thursday afternoon engaged in a major scuffle and hurled a mock bomb to disperse agitators at the gate of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC).
At least five women volunteers of the MPCC Sevadal sustained injuries in the scuffles followed by the mock bomb.
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The scuffles started when a large number of police personnel forcibly pushed back the Congress workers from the historic Kangla western gate, Imphal where they were rendering candlelight protest to show solidary to the party leader Rahul Gandhi who was disqualified from the MP recently.
The solidarity peace march from Congress Bhawan to Kangla gate about a distance of around 100 meters was peaceful at the initial stage.
Also read: Manipur: Cong protests under the banner ‘Democracy in danger’
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But it turned out violent when the candlelight torched by the Congress workers was blown out by a policewoman.
Since then a major confrontation broke out between the police and Congress workers.
With the enforcement of the police personnel, the protesters were sent back inside the Congress gate where there were major scuffles between the two forcing the police to hurl the mock bomb, a policeman said.
The injured protesters were rushed to a nearby hospital and it is reported that all are now in stable condition.
The protesters holding a banner, ‘Democracy in Danger’, shouted slogans, ‘Prime Minister Modi Murdabad’, and ‘Rahul Gandhi Zindabad’.
MPCC vice-president L Tilotama Devi who led the solidarity march later strongly condemned the police atrocity.
She said that the BJP will not be able to suppress the voice of the Congress from speaking the truth and raising its voice against all odds.
Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress president N Popilal also expressed his observation that the upcoming 2024 MP elections will be the end of the BJP in India.