Imphal, December 29: Asserting that the Nationalist Congress Party will continue to demand the scrapping of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, its National secretary MK Baloch said that the party will not flinch from its stand against the Army Act.

Chatting with mediapersons at Hotel Imphal last evening, Baloch said that the Army has been violating human rights and subjecting the people of Manipur in particular to excesses and atrocities.

Recalling the course of action taken up by NCP against the imposition of the Act, the National secretary said that recently, NCP workers staged a protest at Delhi and Imphal.

Party MP PA Sangma also raised the issue on the floor of Parliament, he said and added that the All Political Party Forum of which NCP's State secretary K Sarat is the convenor submitted a memorandum to the Central Government seeking the repeal of the Act.

Baloch who arrived on December 27 to revamp and strengthen the party's organisational structure ahead of the upcoming Assembly election claimed that repeal of the Act will be the top priority of the NCP.

Other issues to be included in the election manifesto of the NCP would be to ensure that interests of the people of Manipur are protected if it comes to power.

The law and order situation, employment generation through setting up industrial units would also be addressed to by the NCP, he informed.

To a query he said that it would be pre-mature to talk about pre-poll or post poll alliance which the NCP may work out.

"However we are committed to secularism and we can be friends with secular parties," he added.

The number of candidates to be fielded by the party will be decided soon, he added.

State unit president Radhabinod Koijam said the NCP will field dynamic candidates with the potential so that the NCP can form the next Government.