Militant outfit to boycott Narendra Modi's visit to Manipur

IMPHAL: A militant outfit today said it would boycott BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Manipur on February 8 and called for a 11-hr general strike on that day.

United Revolutionary Front (URF) publicity secretary Sanajaoba Meitei said in a statement that the decision was taken as the people were being 'suppressed' by the central forces in the name of dealing with militants.

Appealing to the people to stay indoors on that day, the statement said the general strike would begin at 5 AM and continue till 4 PM.

Essential services such as water, electricity supply, media, religious function would be exempted from the purview of the strike, the statement said.

BJP sources said the Gujarat Chief Minister would arrive here on February 8 and address a public meeting in connection with the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Official sources said a high level meeting of senior police officials presided over by the DGP, Shahid Ahmed, was held yesterday to discuss the security measures to be taken up in view of the prsence of central leaders in the state in connection with coming polls.

The meeting discussed the series of bomb explosions in recent weeks despite heavy security deployment and measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents, the sources said.