The Congress party has demanded the removal of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh over the violence that has hit the state for nearly two months, insisting that normality is not possible until Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is removed.

Former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh presented an eight-point charter of demands at the all-party meeting which demanded the immediate removal of incumbent CM Biren Singh.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that while Manipur is “burning”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “silent”, Home Minister Amit Shah is “ineffective” and Chief Minister N Biren Singh is “non-functional”.

The Congress also said that the all-party meeting on Manipur convened by Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday was an eyewash as the party’s representative and the senior-most leader from Manipur, three-time elected Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, was not allowed to fully put forth his point of view.

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According to sources, Ibobi Singh was not given enough time to explain. He spoke for barely seven-eight minutes. When Ibobi Singh asked for an additional three-four minutes, the Home minister asked him to meet him personally.

Ramesh said it was sad that a person who had been the chief minister of Manipur for 15 years was given barely seven-eight minutes to voice his concerns.

“Ibobi Singh knows Manipur better than others but the central government was not interested in hearing what he had to say. The three-hour long meeting allowed a former chief minister to speak only for seven minutes. This is shocking and insulting,” he said.

Ramesh also added that the meeting had little relevance in the absence of PM Modi.

Congress presents charter of demands

In the eight-point charter of demands, Congress stated that these steps were necessary for the restoration of peace in Manipur. The demands are:

  • This all-party meeting should have been chaired by the Prime Minister who has not said a single word on Manipur in the past 50 days
  • This meeting would have been better if it had been chaired by the Prime Minister and had been held in Imphal. This would have sent a clear message to the people of Manipur that their pain and distress are also a matter of national anguish.
  • All armed groups must be disarmed immediately without any compromise.
  • The state government has failed miserably in providing effective governance when it has been needed most. The chief minister himself has admitted publicly twice his failure to handle the situation and deal with the crisis. He has also asked for the forgiveness of the people. On March 11, he unilaterally withdrew the state government’s commitment to the tripartite agreement on the suspension of operations with certain militant groups claiming to be upholders of Kuki interests. This move of his was later rejected by the Union home ministry but by then enough damage had been done. This is one glaring example in a series of blunders. The chief minister should be replaced immediately.
  • The unity and territorial integrity of Manipur should not be compromised in any manner.
  • Grievances of each and every community must be heard and addressed sensitively.
  • Steps should be taken by the Union government to ensure the availability of essential commodities by keeping the two national highways open and secure at all times.
  • A package of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement, and livelihood for the affected people must be prepared without delay. The relief package announced is grossly inadequate.