NHRC notice to Manipur govt, DGP over killings in gun fight
New Delhi, Dec 10: The NHRC has issued notices to the Manipur government and the state's police chief over reports that at least 13 people were killed in a gun fight in Leithao village in the Tengnoupal district, officials said on Friday.
The incident, as reported, indicates a "lapse" on the part of the law enforcing agencies and the forces deployed to ensure peace and law and order in the state, the rights panel said in a statement.
The National Human Rights Commission observed that the reported loss of 13 lives in an area, which remained calm since the tension erupted in the state of Manipur in May this year, is "alarming and disturbing".
The rights panel has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that "at least 13 people were killed in a gun fight in Leithao village near Saibol in the Tengnoupal district, Manipur. Reportedly, the incident happened on December 4," it said.
The commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a serious issue of human rights violations and is a matter of concern.
Accordingly, it has issued notices to the state's chief secretary and the director general of police, seeking a detailed report within two weeks, the statement said.
It should include the status of the FIR registered by the police and steps taken by the state government to ensure that such incidents of violence do not take place anywhere in the state, the rights panel said.
"The state of Manipur and its people have already suffered a lot. It is firmly reiterated that it is the duty of the state to protect the life and properties of its citizens both private and public and to promote fraternity and spirit of brotherliness amongst the communities," it said.
The NHRC since May 2023 has received several complaints from individuals, NGOs and activists alleging violation of human rights during the incidents of violence in Manipur, the statement said.
The commission said these matters are being considered by the full bench of the commission and were also discussed at length, during its camp sitting at Guwahati, Assam on November 17. Senior officers from the government of Manipur, as well as the representatives of the complainants and civil society were also present, the statement said.
According to the media report, carried on December 5, the village has nine houses and around 120 residents. However, no casualties were reported from among the villagers.
Prima facie, it is suspected that the victims of the violence could even be militants from Myanmar since the nearby hills from Leithao are a common route used by them to enter Manipur, it said.
Reportedly, this is the highest single-day loss of life in the violence that erupted in Manipur this year, it added.
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'PM is scared of questions': Cong slams govt after IYC chief's arrest
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib was arrested in connection with the shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit, saying the PM is "scared" of dissent and questions being asked of him.
Chib was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the shirtless protest staged by a group of youth wing members at the AI Impact Summit here last week, officials said on Tuesday.
Police have also stepped up security across key locations in the capital in anticipation of possible protests following Chib's arrest, which took the total number of people held in the case to eight.
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Asked about Chib's arrest, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera told PTI Videos, "It is the duty of the opposition to protest in a democracy but a dictator will never understand this."
"If you hear the speech of that dictator in Meerut recently you will get to know that the word democracy does not exist in his dictionary," Khera said, in a swipe at the prime minister.
Chib as well as other colleagues are being arrested from various parts of the country, Khera, who is in Bhopal for the party's Kisan Maha Chaupal against the India-US interim trade deal, said,
"This shows that Narendra Modi is scared of dissent and questions being asked of him. Narendra Modi is emerging as the most cowardly Prime Minister in the world. He is being blackmailed, he is a coward, he is scared," Khera alleged.
"It has been the Congress' history that no matter how much oppression we face, we will continue to raise issues of the people and will keep fighting with 'Ahimsa'," he said.
Police had earlier arrested seven Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers, including three from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, for the protest at the Bharat Mandapam last Friday. They have been identified as Jitendra Yadav, Raj Gujjar and Ajay Kumar.
In addition, IYC's Uttar Pradesh general secretary Ritik alias Monty Shukla has been detained from Lalitpur in the state.
Senior officers said additional force has been deployed at the sensitive points, particularly in New Delhi, a hotspot for political demonstrations.
Security has been tightened around the Tilak Marg police station, where Chib is presently held, while barricades have been put up at the strategic points, with anti-riot teams on standby.
Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and additional companies of paramilitary forces have also been placed on alert to respond to any law and order situation, officials said.
Senior officers have directed the field staff to ensure that traffic movement remains smooth.
On Friday, a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic protest inside Hall No. 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel.
Police said the accused had registered online and obtained QR codes to gain entry into the venue.
The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP calling it a "shameful act to tarnish India's image on the global stage", and the IYC defending it as a "peaceful" demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interests.
VIDEO | Delhi: On arrest of Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with 'shirtless' protest staged by a group of IYC members at the AI Impact Summit last week, Congress leader Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) says, "Protesting is the duty and responsibility of the… pic.twitter.com/2MOujnPDLX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 24, 2026
