'Manipur in turmoil because...': N Biren Singh attacks Congress, rakes up 'past sins' of former PMs

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday attacked the Congress party for the ongoing turmoil in the northeastern state. Singh said that Manipur is in turmoil because of the "past sins" of the grand old party, including the repeated settlement of Burmese refugees in the state. 

His response came after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the BJP on why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit Manipur and apologise to the people for the ongoing strife in the state. 

After Ramesh's post on X, Biren Singh said that everyone is aware that Manipur is in turmoil because of the "past sins" of the Congress party. 

“Everyone, including yourself, is aware that Manipur is in turmoil today because of the past sins committed by the Congress, such as the repeated settlement of Burmese refugees in Manipur and the signing of the SoO Agreement with Myanmar-based militants in the state, spearheaded by @PChidambaram_IN during his tenure as the Home Minister of India.”

Furthermore, he clarified that his apology was a sincere act of expressing grief for the people who have been displaced and became homeless.

"As a Chief Minister, it was an appeal to forgive and forget what had happened. However, you brought politics into it,” Singh said.

Singh said during a press conference on Tuesday that he wants to say sorry for what happened in the state. “I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones, and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise,” Singh said. 

In response to Singh's apology, Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that PM Modi has deliberately avoided visiting Manipur since May last year even as he travels around the country and the world. 

He also went ahead and reminded that the Congress that the state saw periodic escalations between 1992-97, with the most intense period of conflict being in 1992-93.

"The clashes began in 1992 and continued at varying intensities for around 5 years (1992-1997). This period marked one of the bloodiest ethnic conflicts in northeast India, deeply affecting relations between the Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur." 

He also questioned former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and IK Gujral over whether they visited the northeastern state to apologise for the conflicts in the 1990s. 

“Did Shri PV Narasimha Rao, who served as the Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996 and was the President of the Indian National Congress during this time, come to Manipur to extend an apology? The Kuki-Paite clashes claimed 350 lives in the state. During most of the Kuki-Paite clashes (1997–1998), Shri IK Gujral was the Prime Minister of India. Did he visit Manipur and say sorry to the people? Instead of putting efforts to solve the core issues in Manipur, why is the Congress playing politics over it all the time?” Biren Singh said in the post on X.

Since May 2023, Manipur has been facing ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities. While the Meiteis are in a majority in the Imphal Valley, the Kukis are dominant in hill districts.

The violence has claimed around 260 lives and around 50,000 people have been left homeless.