BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte, who was attacked by protesters, is brought to a hospital in Imphal on May 05, 2023. Photo Credit: ANI
Vungzagin Valte (61) can hardly walk without assistance. His voice is gone. Third-time MLA from the Kuki community, Manipur Chief Minister N.K. Biren is also an advisor to Singh, one of the first victims of the incident. kuki-meitei ethnic violence that is Over 100 lives have been lost in the northeastern state since May 3,
BJP MLA from Manipur’s Thanlon constituency Mr. Valte has been suffering from a skull injury at a private hospital in Delhi for the past one month, his son Joseph Valte said, adding that till now no one from the party had visited him or He was called.
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Joseph said his father is like a child now and has to be taught to talk and walk again because of the injuries he sustained after the mob attack on him on May 4. His face was damaged and doctors fitted a platinum plate to fix his jaw.
Recalling the incident, Joseph said that he had last spoken to his father on the morning of May 4, when the father was leaving the chief minister’s office after attending a meeting. one day before, Caste violence started spreading in the state, post a tribal solidarity march in Churachandpur and other hilly areas. More than 35,000 people have been displaced in the ongoing violence since then.
“After meeting the chief minister, he called to say that he was coming with a government order. That’s the last I heard from him, I still don’t know what the order was as he was not able to speak after that,” said Joseph (29), who assists his father in legislative work.
He said that his father’s official car was stopped by a group of men dressed in black after leaving the secretariat for his official residence in Lamphelpet. He and his driver Thangoulal were taken to a nearby community centre. The personal security officer (PSO), Elangbam Mapu, a Meitei, was spared and asked to run for his own safety.
‘tortured for hours’
“He was first stunned with a Taser gun and then repeatedly struck the skull with a sharp object. Had there been a crowd, there would have been injuries on other parts of his body as well. It was a targeted attack, we believe he and his driver were tortured for hours before they died,” Joseph said.
The son said he did not know how his father and the driver reached the hospital in the evening. He was airlifted to Delhi the same night. “It was the chief minister who arranged for his airlift to the hospital in Delhi. The driver could not be taken along as he had severe neck injuries and was advised not to do so by the doctors. The driver died in the hospital two days later,” said Joseph.
Based on the PSO’s complaint, an FIR has been registered at Imphal police station against “unknown persons” on charges of attempt to murder and causing grievous hurt.
“On the way to the quarter, the MLA and his escort team were attacked by a large number of angry mob at Rims Road near Nityananda Temple. The escort team could not control the violent mob and vandalized the vehicles. As a result of the attack, the MLA and his personal driver sustained injuries and were admitted to RIMS casualty in an unconscious state,” the FIR states.
Joseph said that his wife and children, who were present in the official residential quarters, were taken to the Imphal airport under military escort.
“I don’t think I will ever be able to go back to Imphal. As I used to look after my father’s work, I had many friends in the state administration. Today, we are not in touch with the state government,” he said.
Joseph said he was not sure of the identity of the attackers. “We have been told that Arambai Tenggol may be behind the attack. When I first heard about this group a year ago, I thought it was a gang of bikers.”
arambai tenggolA hardline Meitei organization that owes its allegiance to Chief Minister Biren Singh has been accused of leading the violence and destroying churches.