N Biren Singh quits as Manipur CM nearly two years after start of ethnic conflict

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post on Sunday in the state capital of Imphal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader handed his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan, the governor’s official residence. The governor accepted Singh’s resignation, along with the council of ministers, and asked him to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said his party was all set to move a no-confidence motion against Singh in the Manipur Assembly on Monday.

“Sensing the climate, the Manipur CM has just resigned,” Ramesh said. “This was a demand that the Congress has been making since early May 2023, when Manipur erupted.”

The Congress leader remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “found neither the time nor the inclination to go to Manipur” since the ethnic conflict began in the state, and asked whether he would make a visit now.

Under Singh’s rule, ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities left at least 258 dead and displaced more than 59,000 since May 2023.

Since the beginning of the ethnic conflict 21 months ago, Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups have been demanding the removal of Singh for his alleged partisan approach and majoritarian policies.

On Monday, the Supreme Court told the Central Forensic Science Laboratory to submit in a sealed cover a report on audio clips allegedly linking Singh to the ethnic violence in the state

The order came on a petition by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust. The organisation has sought an independent investigation into the audio recordings claiming that the tapes feature the chief minister taking credit for “how and why the conflict started”.

Also read:

• In Manipur, the Kukis are up in arms against the ‘majoritarian’ BJP government
• Ramachandra Guha: Why hasn’t Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh been sacked yet?

‘Thank Centre for protecting Manipur’s interest’

Singh, in his resignation letter on Monday, thanked the Centre for its actions towards “safeguarding the interest of every single Manipuri”, ANI reported.

“My sincere request to the Central government through your good office is to continue with the same,” he said in the letter to the governor.

Singh urged the Centre to continue to “maintain the territorial integrity of Manipur”, crack down on border infiltration and continue the fight “against drugs and narco terrorism”.

The BJP leader has repeatedly blamed “illegal infiltrators” from neighbouring Myanmar for stoking the violence.