Imphal, February 05 2010: Youth Affairs and Sports Minister and spokesman of SPF Government N Biren today clarified that a team of Ministers and MLAs participated in the function of unveiling the memorial stone of the Chilivai Cultural Carnival at Lakhamai in Senapati district after the organising committee gave the assurance of deleting name of the GPRN kilonser scripted on it.

Addressing a press conference in his office chamber today, Biren informed that the Ministerial team comprising himself, Works Minister K Ranjit, Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii, Chairman of Hill Areas Committee Thangminlien Kipgen and MLA Prithiviraj went to participate in the function on receiving invitation by the Government with the stated objective of promoting peaceful co-existence among the hill and valley people of the State.

Explaining that it was not a function organised by the Government and no names of any GPRN men were printed on the invitation card, the spokesman informed that on finding the name of the GPRN kilonser when the memorial stone was unveiled, the Ministerial team told the organising committee that they would not stay back to attend the function.

However, after the organising committee gave the assurance of removing the name and pleaded not to leave without attending the function as they have organised it with great hardship and looking forward to the visit, the Ministerial team stayed back to participate, Biren maintained.

When the people pleaded not to leave even by touching the feet, how can the Ministers of the Government which is there for the people can resist ?, he asked.

By attending the function, there is no question of the Government having nexus with GPRN.

It is firm stand of the SPF Government that the integrity of Manipur would not be compromised at any cost, the Government spokesman said, adding that the Ministerial team had made it clear to the organising committee that GPRN is an outlawed organisation in the eyes of the Government.

Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii, who was also present during the press conference, asserted that the visit of the Ministerial team was mainly to do with inspection of developmental works in the area.

Since 1972, there is not even an approach road there.

The inscription of the name of a GPRN kilonser on the memorial stone was a result of some communication gap between the organising committee and the monolith committee.

There was heated argument between the two in this regard, the Minister maintained.

Chairman of Hill Areas Committee Thangminlien Kipgen also said that the Ministerial team had never expected that the name of a GPRN kilonser would have been etched on the memorial stone but the Ministerial team stayed back to participate in the function at the assurance that the name would be removed.

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