GUWAHATI: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh chaired a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislators on Monday, November 18, to address the ongoing communal crisis in the state.
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Held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, 27 out of 38 legislators attended the meeting, while 11 were absent, with six citing medical reasons and five providing no explanation.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh blasted Union Home Minister Amit Shah for failing to grasp the reason behind the absence of the 11 MLAs. "Other than him, only 26 showed up,” he posted on X. “Of these 26, 4 belong to the NPP whose national president has already written to the BJP national president withdrawing support to the present CM.”
"The writing on the wall is clear,” Ramesh further added. “But is the grand 'sutradhar' of Manipur - the Union home minister, to whom the PM has abdicated and outsourced all responsibility for the state - reading it?"
During this meeting, legislators unanimously endorsed resolutions passed by the government on November 16, advocating for urgent counter-insurgency operations, and also demanding that the Centre reassess the application of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
A major resolution included recommending the transfer of several cases, including the Jiribam attack, to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The legislators argued that a central investigation would ensure impartiality and expose the conspiracies driving the unrest. Additionally, the government proposed declaring the militant group behind the Jiribam killings an "unlawful organisation" within a week.
Since several MLAs have recently been victims of arson, threats, and looting, the discussion also addressed the rise in targeted attacks on public representatives.
This meeting followed the abduction and subsequent killing of six women and children, including an infant, allegedly by militants. The incident has fueled outrage, leading to further polarisation between the predominant Kuki and Meitei communities of the state.