Women agitators corner Work Minister at Kangpokpi
Asked to grant districthood then and there
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 27 2011: A large number of women agitators detained Works Minister K Ranjit at Kangpokpi Bazar today insisting that the Minister cannot leave without giving his signature on a blank paper to the effect of granting district status to Sadar Hills.

The incident occurred at around 3.45 pm today.

Minister Ranjit was returning along with other officials of PWD after inspecting the progress of the construction work on the Mini Secretariat complex, 50-bedded district hospital and guest house at Senapati, which are scheduled to be inaugurated by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on November 2, when around 1000 women agitators stopped the Minister and his team from proceeding towards Imphal at Kangpokpi Bazar.

According to information culled from the site of the incident, after detaining the Minister and his team, women agitators insisted the Minister sign on a paper stating that the demand for upgradation of Sadar Hills to a full-fledged revenue district has been granted.

The Minister, however, refused.

Later on, leaders of Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) requested for a meeting with the Minister.

During the meeting, the SHDDC leaders contended that since Minister Ranjit is trusted confidant of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, the latter would not mind anything if the latter granted the district demand.

However, Minister Ranjit made it cleared that he is not the only person who is running the government and there is the Council of Ministers.

The Minister further said that he has no objection to being detained if the agitators felt that the demand would be met at once.

As the agitators did not relent, the Minister and his team went back towards Senapati side again.

After crossing a bridge, the Minister stopped his vehicle and informed the DGP of the road block.

Accordingly, the DGP dispatched a large team of Police Commandos from Imphal West, Imphal East and Bishnupur to bring back the Minister and team.

The police Commandos numbering around 100 were fully equipped with riot control equipments and were jointly led by Additional SP (Operation) of Imphal West Dr AK JHaljit and DSP Krishnatombi.

All along the way, the police commandos confronted agitators who were trying to block the road.

A spokesperson of SHDDC has informed that a woman pharmacist sustained injuries in the action of the police commandos at Sapermeina one man had a broken leg in Kangpokpi.

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