GUWAHATI: Assam Rifles posts across Mizoram faced power outage for six to over seven hours on October 17 after the troopers allegedly stopped the convoy of Mizoram power minister F Rodingliana.
Mizoram's Power and Electricity Minister, F Rodingliana, on Thursday alleged that his convoy was halted by Assam Rifles personnel on the outskirts of Aizawl. The incident occurred as he was returning from Champhai district. This led to a confrontation between the minister and the security forces.
Assam Rifles, in turn, issued a detailed rebuttal, rejecting these allegations as "misleading and damaging to the organization’s reputation."
The incident in question occurred on October 17, 2024, near Zokhawsang, Mizoram, when Assam Rifles had set up a Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) based on credible intelligence regarding the movement of illegal war-like stores.
According to Assam Rifles, the convoy of Minister Rodingliana, which consisted of four vehicles, was allowed to pass through the checkpoint as per standard procedures. However, the convoy voluntarily stopped near the location, where routine checks were being conducted on other civilian vehicles.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Assam Rifles said that the videos of the incident which went viral clearly shows threats issued by the minister's staff to cut off power supply to the Assam Rifles.
Following this, an Assam Rifles officer told this newspaper that power supply to the Assam Rifles post was snapped at around 2 pm. It was restored only between 8 and 9.30 pm. This, after the commanders made a request to Chief Minister Lalduhoma.
Mizoram shares its border with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
“The power outage appears to be a deliberate move aimed at obstructing operations,” the statement said, alleging the power cut jeopardised operational readiness and posed a security risk in the border areas.
Meanwhile, the statement said reports suggesting that the Assam Rifles had stopped the minister’s vehicle was a misrepresentation of facts.
The statement claimed the assertion that the Assam Rifles obstructed the minister’s convoy was a “blatant distortion” of facts.
“Videos from the (site of) incident clearly show that a vehicle from the convoy was deliberately positioned to block the road, possibly to manufacture a confrontation,” the statement said.
“When informed that the soldiers were performing their duties, the minister and his staff began shouting, and he directed his escort to forcibly take a jawan into their vehicle, transporting him to a nearby village. The jawan was released only after the local Commander intervened and inquired about the incident,” the statement further stated.
It added, “The organization chose not to escalate the incident of the jawan’s abduction to maintain cordial ties. The Power minister appears to have acted on his own accord.”
Meanwhile, various political parties and organisations in the state slammed the Assam Rifles for “stopping” the minister’s convoy, terming the act as an insult to the Mizos. They demanded a probe into the incident.
