Manipur Assembly elections: Politicians are shameless, promises made are a mockery, says Irom Sharmila

IMPHAL: With barely three days to go before election, Irom Sharmila Chanu slammed politicians as “shameless people” . Sharmila has completed eleven years of fasting in protest against the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act ( A F S PA ) . Her comments, made before she was produced at the judicial magistrate’s court, came within a day of a meeting with Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.

Sharmila said promises made by politicians during campaigning were a mockery of a democratic country and condemned politicians for failing to repeal the AFSPA despite “countless promises”.

Sharmila said: “Aggrieved people burn effigies of political leaders, particularly those in the government, for not translating their words into action . But politicians still seek people’s vote with the monotonous promise of scrapping the Act.”

“Why lie to the people at the time of their need? They are shameless,” an emotional Sharmila said.
Her family too is reportedly upset that repeal of AFSPA is being used as a poll promise and Sharmila as an “electoral plank” . Sharmila, force-fed for years now, urged people not to sell their voting rights.