Imphal, Feb 26 (NationPress) The Zomi Council, a leading tribal organization based in Manipur's Churachandpur district, has called on the Central Government to hasten the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the heinous assault on BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte, who sadly passed away at a private facility in Gurugram on February 21.

The council submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah via the Churachandpur district administration, asserting that justice for Valte remains elusive. Valte represented the Thanlon constituency in the tribal-dominated region of Manipur.

The Zomi Council highlighted that Valte was not just an elected official from the Zomi community but also a prominent tribal legislator and a revered advocate for the Zo populace, which includes the Kuki, Zomi, Mizo, and Hmar tribes.

“It has been nearly three years since an elected BJP MLA and former Chief Minister's Advisor was brutally lynched, yet there has been no visible, timely prosecution or accountability, indicating a severe political oversight and a systemic issue—the ongoing marginalization of the Zo and other hill tribes under a Meitei-dominated governance in Manipur,” the memorandum expressed.

Furthermore, it accused the political environment of systematically undermining tribal rights, voices, and safety.

The memorandum, co-signed by Zomi Council Chairman Vumsuan Naulak and General Secretary Pauneihlal, urged the Government of India to engage in timely discussions to address the political needs and aspirations of the Zo hill tribes.

It also called for solid constitutional and administrative steps to guarantee genuine political autonomy and security for the Zo hill tribes in Manipur.

In a related event, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited the late tribal leader's residence in Churachandpur on Tuesday, paying his respects by laying a wreath and shawl. Valte's body was transported to Lengpui Airport in Aizawl, Mizoram, on February 22 and subsequently driven to his home district.

Chairman Vumsuan Naulak announced that the burial date for Valte would be communicated later. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who was in Delhi on February 21, visited the private hospital in Gurugram to pay his last respects to the departed legislator.

Valte had been living in the Kuki-Zo-dominated Churachandpur district after receiving extensive medical treatment in Delhi following a violent assault during the ethnic chaos in Imphal on May 4, 2023.

As his condition worsened, he was airlifted from Imphal to New Delhi on February 8 for advanced medical care and was admitted to a private hospital in Gurugram, where he sadly passed away on February 21.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Bhalla, Chief Minister Singh, and numerous other leaders and organizations expressed their profound sorrow and condolences over Valte's passing.

Valte was brutally attacked and severely injured on May 4, 2023, in Imphal shortly after attending a meeting with former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

The attack resulted in multiple injuries and partial paralysis, necessitating his urgent transfer to Delhi for intensive medical treatment. Tragically, his driver was also killed in this violent incident.