GUWAHATI: Insurgent group Kuki National Organisation (KNO) in Manipur has denied media reports that it had written to BJP president Amit Shah seeking a ticket of the party for HS Benjamin Mate, who is a vice president of BJP’s state unit, for Outer Manipur parliamentary seat.
In a statement to the media issued by the deputy secretary of KNO’s publicity wing Stephen Kuki, the outfit expressed regrets that it was “maligned” to an issue concerning electoral politics.
At the same time, the organisation said, “It is the democratic right of KNO to exercise its Constitutional right in any electoral process for any candidate as any adult citizen of India”.
The statement added: “KNO unequivocally states that it is neither its intention to issue nor circulate such material referred to KNO takes no responsibility for the news item. The person/persons responsible for creating this contentious circulation clearly has/have vested interest”.
Two letters, purportedly issued by KNO and Zomi Re-unification Organisation (ZRO) and addressed to Shah seeking ticket for Mate, had surfaced on Sunday. KNO has now denied having written it. Both the groups are in a peace mode following their signing of suspension of operation agreement with Manipur and Central governments.