New Delhi: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh sparked a fresh controversy Saturday when he alleged that China may have a role in the ongoing violence in the state by stating that the “foreign hand can’t be ruled out”.
His comment comes a day after his official Twitter account engaged in spats with other users and two days after he clarified that he was not going to resign as chief minister amid demands for his removal.
“There is China nearby. 398 km of our borders are porous and unguarded. There is an Indian security force, but such a large area can’t be guarded…it seems pre-planned but the reason is not open,” Singh told news agency ANI Saturday.
His remarks follow days of speculation over his resignation as well as weeks of criticism of his handling of the violent clashes between Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities since 3 May that have left over 100 dead, nearly 300 injured and thousands displaced.
Singh had reportedly decided to resign from his post before making a U-turn Friday, clarifying that he will stay on as the chief minister. Singh had told NDTV that his original decision to resign stemmed from feeling hurt by protesters’ calls to step down.
At this crucial juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister.
— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) June 30, 2023
However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources told The Indian Express that Singh’s resignation was never “on the table” for the central government and reports speculating on the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur were false.
Meanwhile, images of his resignation letter purportedly torn by his supporters made rounds on social media Friday.
Singh also found himself in hot water over his responses on Twitter where he engaged with other users by emphasising their ethnic links with communities in Myanmar.
To Thang Kuki, a US-based civilian from Manipur, who had tagged Singh and told him that he “should have resigned a long time ago”, the CM asked Thang if he was from India or Myanmar. The Chief Minister later deleted his response.
In response to other users, Singh, a Meitei, purportedly made commented on their community. According to media reports, to one Twitter user, who reportedly said that a huge Meitei population also lived in neighbouring Myanmar, Singh purportedly replied, “Meitei in Myanmar never ask their homeland in Myanmar.”
To another Twitter user who described himself as a citizen of Zalengam, a proposed name for a separate state for the Kuki tribe, the chief minister purportedly replied: “Can be in Myanmar”, reports added.
How can anyone live in a State where the head of the State is fueled with hatred and racism against a particular section of the community.@ashoswai @rwac48 @jeegujja @afridahussai @jeegujja @IndiaTodayNE @paulphoenix1985 @HansrajMeena @BBCBreaking @nytimesworld @UNHumanRights pic.twitter.com/OkIswbPBNB
— Truth Seeker 💯⚡ (@SingsonTweets) June 30, 2023
After the CM’s response, Thang hit back Saturday and wrote on Twitter that as a citizen of the country, he had the right to raise concerns and issues to the representative or head of the state.
Yesterday (US) early morning (India) I responded to one of Manipur CM N Biren Singh tweet by saying. “He should have resigned long time ago”
I was appalled by his response in which he asked If I am from Myanmar or India?
Later, he had deleted his tweet which catches the eyes… pic.twitter.com/pCYDC5cFUm
— Thang Kuki (@Thangneikhup3) July 1, 2023
According to a report in The Indian Express, a member of Biren Singh’s social media team reportedly denied that the tweets had been written either by him or his team.
Meanwhile, critics also slammed the chief minister and alleged that circulating a torn resignation letter on social media was a “pre-planned attempt at garnering public sympathy”.
We understood that
The torn letter of resignation hit social media before your tweetWell played pic.twitter.com/ZtXezgcOIL
— Dr Nilima Srivastava (@gypsy_nilima) June 30, 2023
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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