Police prevent Cong procession on Quit India anniversary in Manipur

Police did not let the Congress take out a rally here to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the 76th anniversary of Quit India movement today in view of prohibitory orders in place in Imphal West district.

Senior police officials also maintained that no prior permission for the procession was sought even though Congress workers were aware of the prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC being imposed in the district since July 25 in view of the unrest in Manipur University.

Members of the Congress party, following a meeting in the afternoon, had decided to take out a rally to pay floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located some 500 metres from their headquarters, on the occasion of the 76th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement, as observed across the nation.

The law enforcers in riot gears, however, prevented the Congress workers, led by former chief minister O Ibobi Singh, from exiting the main gate of the party office.

Later, as a commotion broke out, security personnel fired tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse the agitated workers.

Meanwhile, Ibobi strongly condemned the police action and denounced the crackdown. He alleged that both "the central and the state governments under the BJP are functioning like dictators".

He said the action taken by police was a "murder of democracy".

Floral tributes to Gandhiji were later paid within the party compound, a Congress functionary said.