On Sunday, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh criticized the decision made regarding Manipur, stating it came far too late.
Both leaders expressed the view that it is imperative for the Prime Minister to visit immediately, engage with the citizens, and outline his strategy for restoring normalcy in a state that has been plagued by ethnic strife for nearly two years.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Minister Biren Singh of fostering division in Manipur over the last two years, while asserting that PM Modi permitted this situation to continue despite rampant violence, loss of life, and the erosion of India’s foundational values in Manipur.
He remarked, “For almost two years, CM Biren Singh of the BJP has been inciting division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed this chaos to persist amid violence, loss of lives, and the undermining of India’s ideals in Manipur. The resignation of CM Biren Singh indicates that the rising public unrest, Supreme Court investigations, and the Congress’s no-confidence motion have compelled this reckoning.”
“However, the most critical task is to reestablish peace in the state and aid in healing the communities affected in Manipur. PM Modi must travel to Manipur immediately, listen to the people, and finally clarify his approach to restoring normalcy,” he concluded.
Similarly, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, claimed that his party was fully equipped to introduce a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister and his cabinet.
He noted that Biren Singh’s resignation indicates awareness of the prevailing situation and that the Congress party has been calling for his resignation since early May 2023.
In a post on X, he stated, “Yesterday during the Manipur Assembly session, the Congress Party was entirely prepared to present a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers.”
“Sensing the atmosphere, the Chief Minister of Manipur chose to resign. The Congress party’s demand for his resignation has been ongoing since the turmoil began in May 2023,” he added.
Ramesh further commented that Biren Singh’s announcement came too late and also criticized PM Modi for his failure to visit Manipur throughout the ongoing crisis.
“The Chief Minister’s resignation is overdue. The people of Manipur are now looking forward to the visit of our Prime Minister, who frequently travels and has now departed for France and the USA—someone who has shown neither the time nor the interest in visiting Manipur over the past twenty months.”
N Biren Singh writes to the Governor:
Earlier today, Chief Minister N Biren Singh submitted his resignation to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal.
In his letter to the governor, Singh expressed, “It’s time to step back. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the central government for its timely actions, interventions, developmental initiatives, and the implementation of various projects aimed at safeguarding the interests of every single person in Manipur.”
His resignation followed shortly after returning from Delhi. On Saturday, Singh held a meeting with MLAs from the BJP-led ruling coalition at the CM Secretariat in preparation for the upcoming assembly session starting on February 10.
