Manipur Congress holds rally supporting security forces in Indo-Pak conflict

Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), under directives from the All India Congress Committee (AICC), organized a protest rally in Imphal to show solidarity with and encourage the Indian security forces engaged in operations along the Indo-Pakistan border.

Congress Legislative Party leader and former chief minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, addressing the gathering said, “We are against any act of terrorism whether involving Christians, Muslims, Hindus, or between nations such as India and Pakistan or India and Bangladesh. Terrorism, in any form and from any region, is condemnable.”

“The unfortunate incident that occurred in Pahalgam district has caused immense suffering. Had the incident not taken place, innocent lives would not have been lost.”

Ibobi praised the Indian security forces for their targeted response, saying, “The counterattack did not target innocent civilians or military personnel but was aimed at terrorist infrastructure. This is commendable. The Congress party wholeheartedly supports the action taken by the Indian security forces.”

Reiterating the party’s stance, Ibobi added, “The Congress party has always been against any act of terrorism and will never tolerate such acts.”

He declined to answer media queries related to ongoing issues in Manipur.

The rally was organised following a deadly terrorist attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam district, where 26 civilians including one foreign tourist from Nepal were killed. Reports suggest the attackers primarily targeted Hindu tourists, though Christian and Muslim tourists were also among the casualties.

In retaliation, the Indian government launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, from where the attacks are believed to have originated.

According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), nine sites were hit during the operation.

Additionally, the Border Security Force (BSF) reported on X (formerly Twitter) that a major infiltration attempt was foiled near the International Boundary in Jammu’s Samba district around 11:00 pm on Thursday.

Amid rising tensions, a nationwide mock drill-Operation Abhyaas was conducted on April 7 across 244 districts under the instructions of ministry of Home Affairs, to assess preparedness against terrorist threats.