Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 24:
Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has sought the response of Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing on the alleged manhandling of a lady police officer by him at Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi.
Acting on a complaint petition placed before the rights panels by one lady advocate RK Nolini Devi, who brought up the matter based on a newspaper report carried in a State daily on its last Thursday edition, MHRC Chairman Justice (retired) WA Shishak today said that he would seek the response of the Minister concerned on the matter before a case is registered for formal inquiry.
The Power Minister has also been asked to submit his reply before the Commission by June 24.The newspaper report alleged that Power Minister Phunzathang Tonsing pulled RK Memi Devi, the Deputy Residential Commissioner of Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi, by her hair and beat her up in the presence of her sub-ordinate officers.
However RK Memi informed the press that nothing happened and regretted that the report was published without any confirmation from her side.
According to the report, RK Memi who is also a Manipur Police Service (MPS) cadre, had also made a complaint on the matter to Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, who happened to be staying at the Bhavan when the incident occurred.
In the complaint petition filed before the rights panel, the lady advocate said that �the Minister (Phungzathang) without realising the fact that he is a democratically elected representative of the people exhibited his beastly instinct by pouncing upon the lady police officer before the presence of her sub-ordinate officers.� What accounted for such an ugly scene is of little importance in view of the despicable display of an honourable Minister at the Nation's Capital which is increasingly viewed as the citadel of democracy, the complaint added.
With the catch word �women empowerment� reaching out to the masses, such attitude towards the fairer sex by a person none other than a Minister is nothing short of showing disrespect to women, under the iron hand of the male-oriented society, the complaint petition further said.