Normal life in Manipur was on Friday affected due to a 24-hour general strike called by a local committee to protest the killing of Manipur People’s Party (MPP) Vice-President Manisana Heisnam even as MPP demanded immediate imposition of President’s rule in the State.
Markets, shops and business establishments were closed in view of the general strike called by the joint action committee (JAC) against the brutal killing of Sana on Wednesday last by two unidentified gunmen at Changangei area near Imphal airport, official sources said.
Vehicular traffic between Manipur and neighbouring States were affected because of the strike which began from 5 a.m. on Friday morning, but it was normal between the State capital and district headquarters, the sources said.
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The general strike was announced late on Thursday evening so the news did not reach all the district headquarters, sources said.
Several civil organisations strongly condemned the killing of Manisana amid tight security deployment at the airport complex where he was gunned down, sources said.
Family sources said no individual or group had demanded money from Manisana, who refused to give lift to two persons about two months ago since the persons were not known to him.
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MPP general Secretary Inaocha Singh, demanding immediate imposition of President’s rule, said the State government had failed to protect the life of common citizens even at the tight security capital complex.
“Imphal is not the whole of Manipur,” an MPP spokesman said, adding that recent series of bomb blasts and killing of people by gunmen showed that Manipur was passing through a turmoil period now and that life was not secured.
President’s rule should be imposed to stop killing of persons every day by unidentified gunmen, MPP sources said.