Hours after Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) withdrew support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Manipur headed by N Biren Singh, the BJP MLAs will meet the chief minister at his office on Monday at 6 pm to review the current situation in the violence-hit state.
The NPP, which has 7 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, withdrew support from the government on Sunday, claiming that CM Biren Singh has “completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy” in the state.
The current coalition government in Manipur was formed with the coming together of BJP, Naga People’s Front, Lok Janshakti Party and NPP.
In a letter to BJP national president JP Nadda, NPP’s president and Meghalaya chief minister said: “In the last few days, we have seen the situation further deteriorate where many more innocent lives have been lost and people in the State are going through immense suffering.”
On Saturday (November 16) night, a large group of protesters took to the streets seeking justice for six individuals, who were allegedly taken hostage after the Jiribam shootout and their decomposed bodies were found, in the district.
Following the recovery of the decomposed bodies, civil society groups from the valley dominated by Meitei, gave an ultimatum, demanding urgent military crackdown on the terrorists and the armed groups.
All the MLAs and other leaders must sit together to take decisive action to resolve the present crisis at the earliest,” Khuraijam Athouba, COCOMI spokesperson, said.
“If they do not take any decisive action that satisfies the people, the government will bear the brunt of the people’s discontent and anger,” Athouba warned.
Tensions escalated after protesters targeted the ancestral residence of CM Biren Singh and homes of three state ministers and six MLAs.
As per official reports, protesters on Saturday set ablaze several properties of lawmakers, including PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam’s residence in Ningthoukhong, BJP MLA Y Radheshyam’s house in Langmeidong Bazar, BJP MLA Paonam Brojen’s house in Thoubal district, and Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar’s property in Imphal East district.
With the situation turning intense, Manipur government imposed infinite curfew in Imphal and suspended internet services in parts of the state.
On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired an emergency meeting with senior security establishment officials to review the deteriorating situation in Manipur.
Shah was in Maharashtra to campaign for Assembly elections later in the week, cut short his visit to return to Delhi for the meeting.
On Monday, the Union Home Minister will again chair a meeting at North Block as the Central government prepares to tackle the latest resurgence of violence, which has been marked by what appear to be reprisal killings carried out by both Kuki and Meitei groups in the state.
The Central government has also sent CRPF director general Anish Dayal Singh to Manipur.
With inputs from agencies.
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Fresh violence in Manipur, MLAs’ houses set on fire; BJP in huddle as ally blames CM Biren Singh
