‘Completely failed to resolve crisis’: NPP withdraws support to Biren Singh-led Govt.

Amit Shah reviews security situation in Manipur
SHILLONG/IMPHAL/NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 17: The National People’s Party (NPP), a key ally of the BJP in Manipur has announced the withdrawal of its support for the N Biren Singh-led Government in view of the increasing ethnic violence in the State.

In an official letter addressed to the BJP national president JP Nadda, NPP chief Conrad Sangma came down heavily on the Government for “failing to resolve the crisis”.

“We strongly feel that the Manipur State Government under the leadership of Shri Biren Singh has completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy. Keeping the current situation in mind, the National People’s Party has decided to withdraw its support to Biren Singh-led Government in the State of Manipur, with immediate effect”, Sangma wrote.

The development comes in the wake of fresh violence in the State between Kuki and Meitei communities.

In the last few days, the situation in Manipur further deteriorated and many more innocent lives have been lost and people in the State are “going through immense suffering”, the NPP said in its letter.

The NPP currently has 7 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, and the withdrawal of support will not affect the stability of the government as the BJP enjoys absolute majority in the House with its 32 legislators. The saffron camp has also support of 5 MLAs of the Naga People’s Front (NPF), 1 JD (U) legislator and 3 Independent MLAs.

The ethnic violence that broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities in 2023 has so far claimed the lives of at least 250 people and displaced around 60,000.

The BJP-led State and Central Governments have come under fire for failing to address the issue and bring the violence under control.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the security situation in Manipur and directed top officials to take all possible steps to ensure peace in the Northeastern State, sources said.

Shah held the meeting soon after he returned from Maharashtra after cancelling his election rallies there.

The Home Minister reviewed the situation in Manipur with top security officials and directed them to take all possible steps to ensure peace, the sources said.

Shah is expected to hold another detailed meeting with top officers on Monday and take further steps, they said.

The move came as the situation in Manipur, which has been reeling from ethnic strife since May last year, continued to be volatile following protests and violence after the recovery of bodies of women and children.

Irate mobs set ablaze the residences of 3 more BJP legislators, one of whom is a senior Minister, and a Congress MLA in various districts of Imphal Valley even as security forces foiled an attempt to storm the ancestral residence of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, officials said.

The fresh incidents of violent protests took place on Saturday night even as an indefinite curfew was clamped after people, agitated by the killing of 3 women and 3 children by militants in Jiribam district, attacked the residences of 3 State Ministers and 6 MLAs earlier on Saturday.

Enraged people torched the houses of PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam at Ningthoukhong, Hiyanglam’s BJP MLA Y Radheshyam at Langmeidong Bazar, Wangjing Tentha’s BJP MLA Paonam Brojen in Thoubal district and Khundrakpam’s Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar in Imphal East district, the officials said.

The legislators and their family members were not at home when the mob stormed their residential compounds, vandalised properties and set the houses on fire, police said, adding the houses were partially burnt in the incidents.

The Manipur Police on November 11 claimed 10 suspected militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with security forces after insurgents in camouflage uniforms and armed with sophisticated weapons fired indiscriminately at Borobekra Police Station and an adjacent CRPF camp at Jakuradhor in Jiribam district.

Hours later, suspected militants allegedly abducted 6 civilians, including women and children, from the same district, police had claimed.

On Saturday, the Union Home Ministry said that all security forces deployed in Manipur have been directed to take necessary steps to restore order and peace in the state where the situation remained “fragile” in the past few days.

It said armed miscreants of both communities in conflict have been indulging in violence leading to unfortunate loss of lives and disruption in public order.

The Home Ministry said strict action would be initiated against anyone trying to indulge in violent and disruptive activities.

(TNIE & PTI)