Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam is the Congress candidate from the Inner Manipur seat
Imphal/New Delhi:
The Congress in Manipur has asked the state’s chief electoral officer and police chief to provide security to the party’s candidate Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam after five-six unknown people came to his Imphal house and left threatening messages for him at his family.
In the letter signed by Manipur Congress President K Meghachandra, the party said that the unknown people came on Wednesday when Dr Akoijam was not at home and gave an ultimatum to his family to send him to a particular location for a meeting on Friday at 8am. am.
“The said unknown persons again came to our candidate’s house around 5/6 after about an hour’s break and repeatedly asked the family members not to defy their order,” the state Congress chief said in two letters to police chief Rajiv Singh. , and Chief Electoral Officer of Manipur, Pradeep Kumar Jha.
Dr. Akoijam, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time. Manipur has only two Lok Sabha seats: Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur.
The state Congress president said in the letters that no security has been provided to Dr. Akoijam despite him informing authorities about the threat to his life.
“In such a situation, if your good department has not taken necessary measures to provide adequate security personnel at the earliest, there may be untoward incidents that may not be compensated in terms of money as he (Dr. Akoijam) has a reasonable sense is in danger to life. Mr Megchandra said, adding such threats will not guarantee free and fair elections.
The Congress immediately sought protection for their candidate by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
Dr. Akoijam has long been involved in public issues and democratic movements. He expressed concerns about simmering ethnic tensions in the border state long before violence erupted between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meiteis in May 2023.
The JNU professor took the political plunge after a lifetime of teaching. He has an MA and a PhD in psychology.
Manipur will vote in two phases with Inner Manipur voting on April 19 along with some assembly segments from Outer Manipur. The remaining segments of Outer Manipur will vote on April 26. The count will take place on June 4.