Correspondent
Flared tensions over the arrest of several NPP workers and supporters subsided on Tuesday after police released all of them in the afternoon.
A total of 30 workers and supporters of MLA Sheikh Noorul Hassan who was elected on NPP ticket in the recently concluded elections to the state Assembly.
Of the 30, 19 NPP party workers were detained by the police during its crackdown against a large number of workers and supporters of the MLA who stormed Porompat police station of Imphal East district in protest against the arrest of 11 workers of the MLA.
Earlier On Monday, a team of Imphal East district police raided the house of the MLA at Kshetri Awang Leikai and arrested the 11 workers. Later, police claimed that they were arrested in connection with two FRI cases related to a post-poll violence incident on March 11.
Post crackdown by the police, All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organization (AMMSO) gave a 24-hour general strike across the state to protest detention of workers and supporters of the MLA.
The strike hit normal life in almost all Muslim inhabited areas across the valley districts today as a large number of supporters came out onto the roads and imposed blockade using logs, bamboo and setting debris on fire in the middle of the roads.
The police had to resort to firing tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse protesters at various places, particularly in Imphal and its outskirts.
Due to the road blockade in Hatta area of Imphal East district, traffic chaos occurred in almost all the main roads across the capital city.
Police resorted to firing several rounds of tear gas shell and mock bombs in a bid to reopen road for normal traffic. Despite measures taken by the police, protesters continued to block the road despite repeated dispersions.
The normal traffic along the busy Porompat DC Road was also disturbed as protesters stretched bamboo and logs and burning debris on the road.
There too, the police fired several rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs in their effort to open road for normal traffic.
The protests and general strike was only suspended in the afternoon after the police released all the detained workers after a talk between the top officials of Imphal East district police and leaders of the protesters, including representatives of the AMMSO.
Manipur cops release NPP workers after protests
