Imphal, January 9: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh submitted his resignation to Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Sunday evening. The Governor accepted his resignation and requested him to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister until a new leader is appointed.
Biren Singh was under significant pressure due to the ongoing ethnic violence in the state for the past 21 months. Opposition parties had also been questioning the NDA government over the handling of the situation.
Before resigning, Biren Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday morning. A decision on the new Chief Minister is expected within the next couple of days.
Biren Singh had apologised for violence in Manipur
A month ago, Singh had publicly apologized for the violence and loss of lives in Manipur. He described the past year as unfortunate and expressed deep regret over the situation. Addressing the media at the state secretariat, he stated, “Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has faced immense turmoil. Many people have lost their loved ones, and several families have been displaced. I sincerely apologize to the people of the state.”
Ethnic clashes and Law & Order situation
Violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities has been ongoing in Manipur since May 3, 2023. Over 600 days have passed since the clashes first erupted. Singh revealed that:
- From May 2023 to October 2023, 408 incidents of gunfire were reported.
- Between November 2023 and April 2024, 345 such incidents occurred.
- Since May 2024, 112 cases have been recorded.
However, Biren Singh noted that the situation in Manipur has been relatively peaceful for the past month, with no fresh incidents of violence. Government offices are functioning normally, and schools have witnessed an increase in student attendance.
