BJP MLA slams Manipur tribal MLAs for meeting Mizoram CM

Imphal, Sep 9 (IANS) Influential Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh on Saturday slammed ten state’s legislators for meeting Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga.

Singh, son-in-law of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, said in X, formerly Twitter, that as the ten MLAs are demanding a separate state they should resign from the assembly.

“If they are not serious in bringing peace here and only stuck with the demand, then I really urge them all to resign from the Manipur Legislative Assembly, as it is morally not correct to remain in public office of the state, taking salary from the state and also talk about division and separation from the state.”

Singh said that it is better to have legislators in these constituencies from other tribal communities who are willing to work unitedly for the progress of the state.

“I thus request my fellow legislators to come back to the state and work unitedly for a peaceful and prosperous Manipur or resign from their respective posts honourably and continue with their demand and contest from some other state,” he said.

“Did they allow this conflict to take place ? Are all the 10 signatories (MLAs) doing it willingly or being forced to do so by pressure groups and insurgent groups ? Who is responsible for the loss of lives in the state resulting out of the rally due to the High Court Order ? Couldn’t the organisation just appeal to the Supreme Court, thus no rally, no violence, no conflict ?  On the pretext of the High Court Order, was the solidarity rally on May 3 pre-planned to show it as a sacrifice to seek this new separate state demand ?,” the BJP MLA asked.

He said that people of the state want to live in a peaceful state with no such conflict, a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic state of 34-35 indigenous tribes.

Ten tribal legislators from the hill districts of Manipur, including seven BJP along with various tribal organisations have been demanding a separate administration (equivalent to separate state) for the tribals since May 12, nine days after the devastating ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state on May 3.

On Wednesday, the 10 MLAs and leaders of tribal organisations from Manipur held a meeting with Mizoram Chief Minister in Aizawl on Wednesday.

After meeting with the 10 MLAs and tribal leaders,  Zoramthanga, who is also the President of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), had said that people of his state were ready to help their distressed fellow brothers and sisters of Manipur and suggested that the future course of action should be undertaken in consultation with various organisations, leaders concerned, and the public.

He said that he was deeply hurt with the sufferings of people due to the violence in Manipur.

Zoramthanga, his Cabinet colleagues and MNF MLAs had participated in the 'Solidarity March', organised by the NGOs Coordination Committee in Mizoram on July 25 to express solidarity for the Kuki-Zo tribals, affected in the violence in Manipur.