Manipur CM N Biren Singh resigns amid mounting pressure from Opposition, guv asks him to stay until new leadership takes charge

Amidst rumblings within the state BJP seeking a change of leadership, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Feb 9 tendered his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, officials said.

The governor accepted Singh's resignation, along with that of his council of ministers, and requested that he continue in office until alternative arrangements are made.

The development comes hours after he returned from Delhi.

Earlier this week, a new controversy erupted after the Supreme Court sought a sealed-cover forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging the role of Singh in the ethnic violence.

The tapes reportedly included conversations where Singh allegedly suggested that Meitei groups were allowed to loot arms and ammunition from the state government during the unrest, which has so far claimed 250 lives.

In his resignation letter, Singh said, "It has been an honor to serve the people of Manipur thus far. I am extremely grateful to the central government for time actions, interventions, developmental work and implementation of various projects for safeguarding the interests of every single Manipuri."

"My sincere request to the central government through your good office is to continue with the same. I take the opportunity to enumerate the most important ones of them ... To maintain the territorial integrity of Manipur which has a rich and diverse civilizational history over thousands of years," the letter added.

Singh in his resignation letter also requested the Modi government to continue the "crackdown on border infiltration and to formulate policy for the deportation of the illegal immigrants and the fight against drugs and narco-terrorism."

On Feb 8, Singh convened a meeting with BJP-led ruling alliance MLAs at the CM Secretariat. The meeting was held in the wake of the opposition Congress seeking to move a no-confidence motion against the government led by Singh during the Assembly session starting Feb 10.

It was not immediately clear whether the BJP will appoint a new CM. Top BJP leader Sambit Patra is camping in Manipur.

The Congress was prompt to react that the resignation was "belated" and said people of the state were now awaiting a visit by "our frequent-flier Prime Minister" Narendra Modi.

Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi accused Biren Singh of instigating division in the state. “For nearly two years, BJP's CM Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of the idea of India in Manipur.” he wrote on X.

“The resignation of CM Biren Singh shows that mounting public pressure, the SC investigation and the no-confidence motion by the Congress have forced a reckoning. But the most urgent priority is to restore peace in the state, and work to heal the wounds of the people of Manipur,” he said in the post.

Gandhi also urged PM Modi “to visit Manipur at once, listen to the people and finally explain his plan to bring back normalcy.”

BJP sources on the other side expressed hope that his resignation will help boost the efforts being helmed by the central government to broker peace between the two main ethnic communities in the state.

Noting that former home secretary Ajay Bhalla was appointed the state's governor in December last with an apparent aim to accelerate peace and security measures, they said Singh's resignation will help the process and convey the central government's sincerity in bridging the ethnic divide.

A source said that Singh was also losing support among BJP MLAs, many of whom have met party leaders in Delhi to convey their unhappiness with his continuation.

The state assembly session is scheduled to begin on Feb 10, and there was concern that some party MLAs might embarrass the government by targeting their own leadership.

In his letter to the governor, the CM also urged the central government "to continue the stringent and fool-proof revised mechanism of Free Movement Regime (FMR) with the biometric being stringently applied time bound and faster border which is underway.".

Meanwhile, state BJP president A Sharda said: "We are yet to receive further instructions from the party." She asserted that Singh worked tirelessly for the development and integrity of the state.

"He has been trying to bring peace in the state since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023. The BJP will continue to work hard for the integrity of the state," Sharda added.

On Feb 3, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar sought a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) within six weeks and posted the plea by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) on March 24.

KOHUR, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, sought a court-monitored SIT probe into the alleged role of the chief minister in the ethnic violence.

Bhushan, however, termed the contents of the audio leaks a "very serious matter" and said in the clips the chief minister was purportedly saying that Meitei groups were allowed to loot arms and ammunition of the state government.

The Kuki organization's plea alleged the chief minister of Manipur was instrumental in "inciting, organizing and thereafter centrally orchestrating the large-scale murder, destruction and other forms of violence against the Kuki dominated areas in Manipur".

More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless since ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023.

(PTI)