On Saturday, senior CPI(M) leader Jitendra Chaudhury called for the dismissal of Chief Minister N Biren Singh for ‘failing to restore normalcy’ while in conflict-torn Manipur as part of a party delegation.
The general secretary of the Tripura unit and a member of the CPI(M) delegation visiting the violent state for three days, Chaudhury, claimed that the BJP-RSS’s objective of sowing division among the populace nationwide included the ethnic violence in the northeastern state.
However, the BJP rejected the CPI(M) leader’s accusations as unfounded and claimed the state was headed towards peace.
‘We don’t see the strife in Manipur as an isolated situation but as part of the BJP-RSS’ pan-India strategy of creating divisions and triggering mistrust among people to rule them. Such incidents are happening everywhere,’ Chaudhury told PTI over the phone.
The CPI(M) team, led by Sitaram Yechury, national general secretary, visited three relief facilities in Manipur on Friday and also spoke with Governor Anusuiya Uikey.
‘The situation in Manipur is alarming as mistrust is growing with each passing day. The Biren Singh government in the state, instead of bringing peace, has failed to take any visible step in restoring normalcy,’ he said.
‘It was said that the Centre will monitor the situation in Manipur but the reality on the ground is very different. Biren Singh, who has become indispensable after his much-hyped drama of resignation, is running the show to date,’ the CPI(M) leader alleged.
‘We don’t demand sacking of the BJP-led government in Manipur but seek the immediate removal of Biren Singh,’ he said.
Subrata Chakraborty, the top spokesperson for the Tripura BJP, refuted Chaudhury’s claims and declared that Manipur will experience peace gradually.
‘The Union and Manipur governments are trying to restore normalcy in the northeastern state. Even though stray incidents are being reported, the overall situation has improved. The CPI(M) delegation is visiting the state now to fish in troubled waters,’ the BJP leader claimed.
On May 3, ethnic violence between Kukis and Meiteis erupted in the northeastern state as a result of a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ that was staged in the hill areas to oppose the Meitei community’s desire for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation.
The majority of Meiteis, who make up about 53% of the population of Manipur, reside in the Imphal Valley. A little over 40% of the population are tribal people, mostly Nagas and Kukis, who live in the hill districts.
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