Team News Riveting
Imphal, June 29
The Manipur police stopped the convoy of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and propelled him to take a chopper to visit the ethnic strike-torn pockets in Manipur on Thursday.
After remaining stuck at Bishnupur for hours after his convoy was stopped by the Manipur Police, Gandhi returned to state capital Imphal. The Congress leader later took a helicopter to violence-hit Churachandpur.
Sources said Gandhi’s chopper landed in Churachandpur at around 4 pm. The Congress leader visited the relief centres and met the people affected by the deadly violence in the state that erupted in the first week of May. Earlier, Gandhi arrived in violence-hit Manipur on a two-day visit. He was received by Congress veteran and former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Manipur Congress chief K Meghachandra Singh at the Imphal airport.
Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal said in a tweet, “After initially allowing us, our convoy led by @RahulGandhi ji was stalled near Bishnupur on the orders of the Manipur CM.” Such moves are unfortunate and have no place in a democracy, he said, adding that at a time when the victims of Manipur are suffering, Rahul ji is in Manipur to deliver a message of peace and harmony.
Manipur today needs a healing touch, not further acrimony. “It is our constitutional right to travel across Manipur, interact with the people who have suffered so much, and build bridges between communities,” the Congress General Secretary added.
Bishnupur Superintendent of Police Heisnam Balram Singh said, “Seeing the ground situation, we stopped him (Rahul Gandhi) from moving forward and advised him to travel to Churachandpur via helicopter. There is a possibility of a grenade attack along the highway through which VIP Rahul Gandhi is moving. Keeping his security and safety in mind, we’ve not allowed him.”
