Imphal: The Manipur State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the actions of the 4 Mahar Regiment officials for harassing a group of accredited journalists and staff from the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) at the Gwaltabi Checkpoint earlier this morning.
The journalists were on their way to Ukhrul to cover the Inaugural Day of the Shirui Lily Festival, which was formally opened by Hon’ble Governor Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla. The team was travelling in a government-owned bus provided by the Transport Department, clearly marked with “Manipur State Transport.” According to CPI(M), the security personnel forcibly ordered the journalists to conceal these markings, an action the party termed “unwarranted and illegal.”
The bus was carrying 20 journalists and DIPR staff, and the team had been following the travel instructions issued by the ADM of Ukhrul District. CPI(M) asserted that this act not only disrupted the professional duties of the journalists but also posed serious concerns about freedom of the press and the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
“This raises troubling questions—who really governs Manipur? Is it the elected State Government or the Central Security Forces?” the party said in its statement.
The CPI(M) further expressed full support for any collective action taken by journalists and editors to strengthen communal harmony and push for peace across communities in the state. The party has demanded an immediate inquiry into the incident and strict action against the security personnel involved for dereliction of duty.
