Hostile elements questioning role of Assam Rifles: Army

The Army on Wednesday said that some hostile elements have made desperate, repeated and failed attempts to question the role, intent and integrity of the central security forces, especially the Assam Rifles, which has been working relentlessly in Manipur since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3.

Army's Spear Corps in a statement said due to the complex nature of the situation, occasional differences at the tactical level do occur between various security forces. It said all such misunderstandings at the functional level are immediately addressed through a joint mechanism to synergise the efforts for restoration of normalcy in Manipur.

Citing two instances that emerged in the past 24 hours, the statement said that in the first case, Assam Rifles battalion acted strictly in accordance with the mandate of the unified headquarters and strict enforcement of buffer zone norms towards preventing violence between two communities in Bishnupur district.


In the second case of Assam Rifles being moved out of an area, it clarified it was not even related to them. An Infantry Battalion of the Army was deployed in the area (since May 3) from where the narrative of Assam Rifles being moved out has been made.

Various Meitei groups and the ruling BJP had urged the PM on Tuesday to replace Assam Rifles with any other central paramilitary force.