Strike cripples normal life in Manipur

Imphal, Nov 5 : A dawn-to-dusk general strike on Sunday called by an insurgent group has affected normal life in Manipur.

The strike has been called by the Maoist Communist Party, an outlawed underground organisation, demanding the resignation of Karam Shyam, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution for alleged corruption.

The minister has, however, denied the corruption charge saying it is unsubstantiated. He said: "I shall resign if the charge is proved."

Police said there was no impact of the strike pointing out that vehicles plied on the roads and shops and business establishments functioned normally.

Long-distance buses and trucks were off the road and petrol pumps and most shops were shut, officials said.

According to police, there was no report of any untoward incident during the strike.

In a statement, the Maoist Communist Party said: "Manipur is given 120,377 MT of rice per month. It should have been enough for the people." However, the party alleged that only a fraction of it is distributed to the people while the rest finds its way to the black market.

Pointing out that Manipur had faced four floods in recent months the outfit feared that a famine like situation will hit the people.