After Manipur police registered a suo motu FIR against the Assam Rifles, accusing them of obstructing the police during the August 6 violence in Kwakta, The Army on Tuesday said it, along with the Assam Rifles, will continue to “remain firm and resolute” in carrying out actions to prevent any attempt that could result in furthering violence in strife-torn Manipur.
Ethnic clashes broke out in the north-eastern state since May 3 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities, claiming the lives of over 150 people so far.
On August 3, three people from the Meitei community were killed in Kwakta, following which heavy firing was reported close to the town which is at the border of Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district and Kuki-Zomi dominated Churachandpur district.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Army’s Spear Corps on Tuesday said some “inimical elements” have made repeated attempts to malign the image of the Assam Rifles, which has been engaged in restoring peace in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, since May 3.
“Some inimical elements have made desperate, repeated, and failed attempts to question the role, intent, and integrity of the central security forces, especially Assam Rifles, working relentlessly towards saving lives and restoration of peace in Manipur from May 3 onwards,” the statement said.
The Army said it needs to be understood that due to the complex nature of the situation on the ground in Manipur, occasional differences at the tactical level do occur between various security forces.
“However, all such misunderstandings at the functional level are immediately addressed through the joint mechanism to synergise the efforts for the restoration of peace and normalcy in Manipur,” it read.
“Two instances have emerged over the last 24 hours aimed at maligning the image of Assam Rifles,” the statement read.
In the first case, the Army said, the Assam Rifles battalion has acted strictly in accordance with the mandate of the Unified Headquarters of strict enforcement of buffer zone guidelines towards the aim of preventing violence between the two communities.
In the second case, it said, the Assam Rifles being moved out of an area is not even related to them. An infantry battalion of the army is deployed in the area, since the crisis erupted in May, from where the narrative of Assam Rifles being moved out has been made, it said.
“Indian Army and Assam Rifles assure the people of Manipur that we will continue to remain firm and resolute in our actions to prevent any attempt that could result in furthering violence in an already volatile atmosphere,” the statement said.
The FIR by the Manipur police, registered by the officer-in-charge of Phougakchao police station in Bishnupur district, stated that hat around 6:30 AM that day, teams of the state police from Bishnupur district were moving towards Pholjang Road along Kwakta ward 8 to conduct search operations “to trace out the accused Kuki militants that might have been taking shelter at the adjoining area between Kwakta and Pholjang village.” Pholjang is a village in Churachandpur district, reported The Indian Express.
The complaint stated that the police teams were “stopped and blocked” by 9th Assam Rifles personnel by parking their “Casper vehicle” in the middle of the Kwakta Pholjang Road.
It alleged that “such arrogant act” of the Assam Rifles team gave a “chance to the accused Kuki militants to escape freely to a safe zone”.
A video from the incident, which was widely shared on social media, showed heated exchange between the police and the Assam Rifles personnel, with the police demanding that the AR vehicles be moved and accused them of collision.
The FIR has been filed under sections of obstructing public servant from discharging their duty, threat of injury to public servant, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation.