Manipur MLA denies charge of links with militants

Imphal, Jan 13 (IANS) Congress MLA Thounaojam Shyamkumar has denied Delhi Police's charge that he has nexus with a proscribed underground organisation in Manipur.

Shyamkumar held a press conference at his residence here on Friday to refute the police charge.

The Delhi Police charge follows the questioning of an arrested militant on Thursday. Terming the charge as baseless, Shyamkumar said: "Levelling such a charge is unfortunate."

"That police officer has been after me since 2007. It was on the basis of charges levelled against me by the police officer, I was arrested in 2007," he said.

"However, the court did not find any basis... and I was released. After that I contested elections and got elected from the Andro Assembly constituency," the MLA said, adding: "I have no link with the unlawful organisation in any manner."

Shyamkumar said some insurgent groups have been trying to assassinate him after he refused to provide public distribution system items and money from the MLAs' development fund.

"There had been planting of bombs, bomb attacks and ambushes using guns," he said.

Congress party sources said that unless Shyamkumar manages to absolve himself from the police charge, the high command may not take his case kindly while distributing tickets for the upcoming assembly elections in Manipur.

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and state Congress president T.N. Haokip are camping in Delhi to finalise the list of party candidates.

So far, there has been no statement on the issue from the outlawed outfit.