Imphal: Even as the Centre deployed additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Manipur to control the renewed outbreak of violence, there is a bigger headache for the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre, with the party turning into a “divided house” in the state.
Monday’s meeting at Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s residence, where a resolution was passed to act against the Kuki militants behind the abduction and killing of six Meitei women and children, was the latest instance of how the Manipur CM is finding it difficult to keep his flock together.
While sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said that around 26 MLAs, including ministers, had attended the meeting Monday, ThePrint has also learnt that several among the BJP’s 37 MLAs had absented themselves from the meeting. Besides the seven Kuki MLAs, over a dozen Meitei MLAs from the ruling party did not attend or even give a reason for skipping the meeting.
A resolution was passed in the meeting to appeal to the Centre to review the imposition of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in six police station areas in the valley on 14 November, following the violence in Jiribam. It was also decided that if the resolutions taken are not implemented within the specified period, all the National Democratic Alliance legislators will decide the “future course of action in consultation with the people of the state”.
In the 60-member Manipur assembly, BJP has 37 MLAs, including five who shifted from Janata Dal (United). Besides these, Naga People’s Front (NPF), a BJP ally, has five MLAs.
Another former ally National People’s Party (NPP), which had withdrawn its support last Sunday following the Jiribam violence, has seven. Former ally Kuki People’s Alliance has two, Congress has five MLAs, JD(U) has one and there are three Independents.
“While the CM’s Secretariat came out with a list of 11 MLAs/ministers, who did not give a reason for not attending the meeting, the actual list of absentees is longer,” said an MLA, who did not wish to be named.
A second MLA, who is currently in Delhi, told ThePrint, “There has been an erosion in CM Biren Singh’s support base among his own MLAs in the last one year. While the Kuki BJP MLAs demanded his resignation last year itself in the aftermath of violence, there have been a couple of instances in the last one year, where several Meitei BJP MLAs have sought his removal.”
The MLA recalled how last month, some 19 MLAs of the party, including Speaker of the Manipur Assembly Satyabrata Singh and Education Minister Th. Biswajit Singh, among others, had reportedly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Biren Singh’s removal. “The central leadership knows that the BJP is a divided house in Manipur today. If MLAs are not saying anything openly, it is out of fear of being targeted by armed groups.”
ThePrint reached out to the chief minister for a comment via phone call, but did not get a response.
A third BJP MLA said that Biren Singh is facing immense pressure to portray that the situation is under control in Manipur. “Monday’s meeting was convened to signal that,” the MLA added.
On Tuesday, the chief minister took to X to condemn the incident in Jiribam and said that the government will not rest till the perpetrators are held accountable.
There is no place in any society for terrorists who kills innocent women and children. pic.twitter.com/B2VsmJQM5u
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) November 19, 2024
In the three-minute video clip, he also extended his “heartfelt gratitude” to the Central Reserve Police Force and the state police for maintaining the law and order situation, and said that the state will always prioritise the safety and security of its people. He also thanked the Centre for their “relentless commitment” to bring peace to the state.
‘CM unlikely to be removed at this juncture’
A senior government functionary posted in the state, however, told ThePrint that despite Biren Singh’s unpopularity, it is unlikely that he will be removed. “At this juncture, no. Any decision to remove him will send a message that the Centre has done it under pressure from Kukis, who have been persistently demanding his removal. If it happens, there is a genuine fear that the valley (Imphal), which is very volatile now, might flare up, and it could become difficult to control.”
The functionary added that the Centre is treading cautiously as it is aware of the volatility of the situation. “If any decision has to be taken to remove the CM, it could be closer to the 2027 assembly elections. Not now. The status quo will remain. The Centre’s priority at this point is to enhance security in the state so as to prevent any further violence.”
At this point, the Centre is preoccupied with managing the law and order situation in the state and bolstering the security paraphernalia. The Union home ministry has ordered deployment of 50 more companies of CAPF, comprising over 5,000 personnel in the state, after the fresh spate of violence. The Army also staged a flag march in Imphal Monday.
It is not just the civilians. Even elected representatives have been at the receiving end of mob violence in Imphal. On Saturday, angry mobs demanding action against perpetrators of the Jiribam incident vandalised residences of over a dozen MLAs and ministers living in the valley. A mob also tried to enter the ancestral house of CM Biren Singh and tried to vandalise it.
Since then, security across Imphal has been beefed up, including at the residences of Meitei MLAs and ministers after the incidents of vandalism Saturday. Concertina wires, bunkers and a huge iron gate have come up outside the residence of Minister L. Sushindro’s residence.
“We have fortified his residence following Saturday’s incident. We don’t want to take any chances,” said a Border Security Force personnel posted there.
Though Manipur has been on the boil since last May, when ethnic clashes first broke out between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities, the fresh bout of violence was triggered, following the alleged killing of ten Hmar militants by the CRPF in retaliatory firing.
This was followed by the abduction of six Meitei women and children from a refugee camp in Jiribam. Tensions flared after the bodies of the six persons, including an eight-month-old infant, were found floating in the Barak River.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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