A video claiming that the Manipur Police were used to prevent people from leaving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Imphal on Sunday, 7 April, has gone viral.
In the video, people are seen rushing out of the rally venue and the police are trying to control the crowd.
Sources told The Quint that the incident did occur as the crowd grew restless waiting for the prime minister to arrive.
While PM Modi was reportedly scheduled to arrive at Hapta Kangjeibung ground at 3:00 pm to address the rally, the crowd had gathered by 1:00 pm.
Manipur Minister Biswajit Singh then made an announcement around 4:00 pm that PM Modi would reach the venue in an hour.
“People who were tired of waiting wanted to leave. But the police locked the gates. They were ordered not to let people leave,” sources told The Quint.
When they tried to leave the venue, the police stopped them and locked the gates to keep them in. Two women were injured in the stampede that followed.
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What PM Modi Said in The Rally
When the PM finally arrived and addressed the rally, he slammed the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress for having failed to bring any development in the northeast, including in Manipur, despite years of its rule in the region.
“The BJP is working to correct the damage inflicted by the Congress towards the north east... The region is finally coming into the mainstream,” Modi said.
The Congress did not fulfil its pre-election promise to make the region a manufacturing hub, Modi said, adding that the grand old party is actually an "expert in manufacturing lies and false assurances".
Hailing Manipur for producing a number of talented sportspeople over the years, he said the BJP government has decided to make the state a sports hub and set up a national sports university.
Acknowledging the state’s football prowess, the prime minister took a dig at the Congress, saying, “The party has made a foul, and just as in football, it should be shown a red card.”
Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur will be held on 11 April and 18 April.
(The author Sunzu Bachaspatimayum is a Manipur-based journalist.)
(With PTI inputs.)
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