Imphal, September 10: Continuing with the appeal for the unconditional release of MUSU president, Kh Ashokumar from the custody of the RPF/PLA, student leaders of DESAM and AMSU today questioned why the Manipuri Students' Federation has maintained a deafening silence over the matter and not issued a single word of condemnation against the kidnapping of a fellow student.

Addressing newsmen at the conference hall of AMSU's headquarters today, DESAM president L Romesh and AMSU president S Prakash said that it is totally wrong to victimise MUSU president Kh Ashokumar in the stand off between the PLA and the KYKL.

The student leaders also appealed to all concerned not to do anything that may appear to link students to underground outfits.

Recalling the incident on September 6 at MU, the two student leaders said that Ashokumar along with some Councillors and leaders of some student organisations were together at the office of the MUSU president when a man who identified himself as a cadre of the RPF/PLA came and asked MUSU to organise a literary meet on September 24 and 25 in connection with the raising day of RPF.

Ashokumar informed the man that since there was a directive from the KYKL not to organise any event in connection with underground outfits at the university, the matter has to be discussed first with the Councillors.

At this the RPF man whipped out a gun and pointed it at the MUSU president and questioned why the meet should not be organised, said the two student leaders.

The other students present intervened and tried to talk things over with the gunman, they said.

However the RPF cadre got up and informed over the phone to his comrades that the MUSU president has refused to budge and added that he (RPF man) is being kept captive.

When the students protested that the message conveyed over the phone was wrong, the RPF man again tried to whip out his gun.

However the other students managed to stop him.

After about 10 minutes four armed men entered the office and after locking up the room started beating up the students, said Romesh and Prakash.

The gunmen ransacked the room and after breaking the glasses of the room, took away Ashokumar with them.

The two student leaders said that they should not victimised because of the two diametrically opposing view points of the RPF and the KYKL.

Let the two armed organisations settle the dispute between them but first release Ashokumar, they maintained.

On the footage carried aired by ISTV where Ashokumar was made to speak under custody, the student leaders said that they strongly condemn the act of forcing the MUSU president to say doctored script at gun point.

They appealed to all concerned not to force students to say anything by force at gun point.

It is also not proper to come and meet student leaders armed, they maintained and added that trying to force the students to do something at gun point is uncalled for.

All underground outfits should encourage student organisations to function independently, observed the two student leaders further.

If the students had done anything inimical to the RPF/PLA then they could have run away from the RPF men on the day of the incident on September 6, said Prakash and Romesh.

The students will not compromise on their stand under any pressure, they asserted.

The students also said they have taken strong exception to the threat issued against the democratic protests launched by students and civil societies to demand the release of Ashokumar.

They also questioned why the MSF has maintained a stoic silence over the abduction of Ashokumar.

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