Imphal/Guwahati: Expressing concern over the ongoing violence in Manipur, the National Peoples' Party (NPP) has withdrawn its support to the BJP led government in the troubled northeastern state, which has been on the boil since May last year due to the clash between the majority Meitei and Kuki community.
"We strongly feel that the Manipur state government under the leadership of chief minister N Biren Singh has completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy," said a letter issued by NPP national president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Sunday.
"Keeping the current situation in mind, the National Peoples' Party has decided to withdraw its support to the Biren Singh led government in the state of Manipur with immediate effect," the statement signed by Sangma said. Sangma's letter was addressed to BJP National President JP Nadda.
it may be mentioned here that the NPP has seven MLAs in the 60 Member Manipur Legislative Assembly. The NPP's withdrawal of support, however, does not impact the BJP government in Manipur as the saffron party has 37 members of its own in the 60 member Manipur Legislative Assembly.
The development, however, indicates that political equations are changing in the state, particularly in the wake of the recent spate in violence.
The NPP's move of withdrawing the support , however, also assumes significance considering the fact that 19 legislators including the Speaker of the Manipur assembly, Satyabrata Singh had last month (October ber 2024) submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a change in the leadership to 'save Manipur.
It may be mentioned here that the pressure has been mounting on the BJP leaders in Manipur after the recent spate of violence as the people in the valley has been asking the BJP MLAs to resign if they cannot ensure action against the Kuki militants who had recently killed six persons including an eight month old child who were allegedly abducted on Monday from Jiribam where the CRPF forces had an encounter with armed miscreants and killed ten of them.
The Coordination Committee on Manipur integration (COCOMI), which is a civil society organization of the Meitei community, had initiated an indefinite protest starting Saturday voicing deep concerns over the deteriorating situation in Manipur. The COCOMI protest came in response to what the Meitei prominent organisation describes as “severe atrocities against women and children” amidst ongoing unrest in the state. the organisation has also announced a boycott of are demanding an immediate military action against the Kuki militants.
Apart from the COCOMI, several organisations in the valley areas of Manipur have been demanding resignation of the MLAs and ministers of the BJP govt if they can't take any action that ensures peace and justice.
Hundreds of people including women have taken to the streets on Saturday and attacked the houses of several ministers and MLAs demanding their resignations if they can't force the government to take action against the recent attack. The protestors on Saturday protested in front of the house of Chief minister N Biren Singh and damaged properties by raising the houses of several MLA's and ministers including RK Imo Singh, who is the chief minister's son-in-law.
Several districts in the state including capital Imphal are brought under indefinite curfew on Saturday after fresh violence took place in Imphal as the news of recovery of dead bodies of six persons, who had remained missing since Monday from Jiribam, spread.
The government has also suspended internet and broadband and VSAT services in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur districts for two days.
The curfew has been imposed after protesters started attacking the houses of BJP MLAs in Imphal on Saturday afternoon. The mobs are still moving on the streets of Imphal even as official sources said that the curfew is likely to be imposed in other districts as well in a move to contain the law and order situation.
Although the police in Manipur have remained tight lipped, it is believed that all the six persons who had remained missing since Monday were killed. Manipur police have shifted three of the bodies of the missing persons, including body of one woman and two children, to Silchar Medical College in Assam for post mortem on Friday late night.
On the other hand, Union Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah cancelled his election campaign in Maharashtra midway on Sunday, returned to the national capital and held a review meeting on the 'continuing violence and tensions' in Manipur.
