Erendro Leichombam is the convenor of a Manipur-based political party
Manipur activist Erendro Leichombam was charged by the state police on Tuesday with sedition after he shared a post on Facebook that had the photo of the newly elected Rajya Sabha MP - Sanajaoba Leishemba - with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, sources said. The titular king of Manipur and a BJP leader, Sanajaoba Leishemba is seen in the photo bowing down with his hands folded before Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Erendro Leichombam shared the photo on July 24 with the caption - "Minai macha" - which roughly translates to "son of a servant" in Meitei, a language spoken by the locals.
Police had gone to arrest the 36-year-old activist at his Imphal home but could not get hold of him since he was not in the state capital at the time, sources said.
Last night, he posted on Facebook: "I have been charged with sedition by the Government for exercising my Freedom of Speech. To protect Kangleipak from a forceful assimilation is a duty. i will not stop writing. You can't gag all your critics. Some of us still love our homeland. You can imprison my body, but how will you imprison my mind? (sic)"
Erendro Leichombam is the convenor of a Manipur-based political party - People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance. He had co-founded the party with Irom Sharmila in 2016 after she ended her 16-year-old fast for the removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Manipur.
Along with Irom Sharmila, he had also contested the 2016 state elections, but could not win.
A postgraduate in economic policy from Harvard University, Erendro Leichombam was earlier arrested in 2018 for posting a video on social media. He is seen as one of the strongest critics of the BJP in Manipur.
Last month, the BJP had won the Rajya Sabha elections with a majority in the 60-member Assembly that was diminished to 52 after eight legislators were disqualified.