The Congress government in Manipur on Tuesday filed a no-confidence motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government. Congress MLAs Keisham Meghachandra and Thokchom Lokeshwar moved the motion on behalf of the party.

Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said the party was confident that the House will take up the no-confidence motion during the one-day Assembly session on August 10.

Meghachandra told reporters that the party’s demand to transfer a drug smuggling case to the Central Bureau of Investigation has not materialised yet. He said this in reference to the seizure of consignment of contraband drugs and old currencies from the residence of Lhukhosei Zhou, chairperson of the autonomous council of Chandel district in June 2018.

Meanwhile, police officer Thonaujam Brinda, who had alleged that Chief Minister N Biren Singh had pressured her to release Zhou, was temporarily detained for violating lockdown restrictions at Sangaiprou Lamkhai on Monday night. The police said they were not surveilling Brinda and that there was no intention to target her. Brinda made these allegations in an affidavit to the court which had initiated contempt proceedings.

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Meghachandra said that the submission of the no-confidence motion was also in consideration of the first information report filed against the two local media houses which had published the officer’s affidavit, according to PTI.

The Congress is targeting the BJP government over the drug smuggling case after failed attempts to dislodge the saffron party. In June, nine members of the BJP-led coalition, including four ministers of the National People’s Party, had withdrawn support to join Congress-led coalition – Secular Progressive Front. However, after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda, the rebel NPP legislators said they will continue to support the coalition government.