As many as 29 people were injured and eight killed in a fresh cycle of violence that erupted on the boundary of Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts in Manipur since August 29, a defence source said on Friday. The area witnessed intermittent firing between the two groups on Friday where a person was said to have been injured in Churachandpur.
Assam Rifles (AR) Director-General Lt. Gen. P.C. Nair told PTI that the country’s oldest paramilitary force remained unbiased and had destroyed bunkers, seized weapons and rescued innocent people from both communities in Manipur over the last four months.
AR has come under attack from several Meitei groups and BJP legislators for allegedly siding with one community. “Why should we be partial towards one community? We have soldiers from both the sides in our force and we have had no issue of any kind of rivalry among them. That truly speaks of the leadership that is there both in the Army and the Assam Rifles. These officers are giving all that they can to ensure peace,” he said.
