Manipur Police have issued a stern warning against the circulation of videos showing panicked students during a recent protest in Imphal East. This announcement follows a rally on August 1 that turned violent, prompting police to use tear gas to control the crowd. The incident occurred at Akampat in Imphal East district, where the crowd became unruly, attacking police vehicles and pelting stones. “The police had to resort to firing minimum rounds of tear gas shells to control the unruly crowd,” read a statement from Manipur Police on social media.
Following the clash, videos emerged on social media depicting students in a state of panic inside classrooms. The police view the spread of these images as potentially inflammatory and have taken a strong stance against it. “Some people made videos of students being panicked in classrooms and circulated them on social media with the intention of spreading panic amongst the public and students,” the police statement noted. Authorities are concerned that such content could escalate tensions in an already volatile situation.
The police have appealed to the public to refrain from sharing these videos, emphasizing the potential legal consequences. “It is appealed to the public not to do such things for creating panic among the general masses, else strict legal action will be taken,” the statement warned.
