Imphal: Breaking his silence over the Manipur violence, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday termed the killing of six people, including women and children, by suspected Kuki militants in Jiribam district as ‘a crime against humanity’. He also assured that those responsible would be brought to justice.
“We’ll not rest until they are held accountable for their inhumane actions,” he said in a video statement.
There is no place in any society for terrorists who kills innocent women and children. pic.twitter.com/B2VsmJQM5u
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) November 19, 2024
Meanwhile, twelve BJP legislators skipped a meeting of NDA MLAs convened by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday “to review the developing law and order situation” in the state. This reflected a rift within the party over the ongoing turmoil.
The meeting was attended by 27 MLAs. The MLAs, who skipped the meeting, did it on personal or medical grounds. At least 11 remained absent without citing any reason, according to reports.
“But there are signs that some of the MLAs are unhappy with the way the ethnic conflict has been handled. And these signs can’t be ignored by the current dispensation. There is no denying a churning in the state unit because there is a lot of anger and grief over the recent developments,” a source said, as quoted by The Telegraph.
In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the BJP has 37 MLAs. The BJP also has the support of five MLAs from the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and three Independents.
The Congress’s five MLAs are in the Opposition along with two from the Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) and one from the JDU.
Four MLAs from the National People’s Party (NPP), a BJP ally that has withdrawn support to the party in Manipur, attended the meeting.
An MLA each from the JDU and the NPF, an Independent and three from the NPP did not attend the meeting.
“The Manipur Assembly has 60 MLAs. Last night, the CM of Manipur called a meeting in Imphal of all MLAs belonging to the NDA. Other than him, only 26 showed up. Of these 26, 4 belong to the NPP whose National President has already written to the BJP National President withdrawing support to the present CM,” Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.
“The writing on the wall is clear. But is the grand sutradhar of Manipur — the Union Home Minister, to whom the PM has abdicated and outsourced all responsibility for the state — reading it? How long will the excruciating agony of the people of Manipur continue like this?” he added.
Ramesh claimed that “we gather that the signatures of 3 MLAs who were supposedly present have been forged. So the ACTUAL number of NDA MLAs present was just 24, including the CM.”
The chief minister or his office is yet to react to the Congress’s claims. A source said the signature issue “involves an NPP and an Independent MLA”, but did not elaborate.
Earlier, six relief camp inmates from Borobekra in Jiribam district were abducted allegedly by Kuki militants on November 11. Later, their bodies were recovered.
