‘I will not resign’: Manipur CM after high-voltage drama in Imphal over his resignation

New Delhi: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday said that he will not quit the post of CM. The CM of Manipur announced on Twitter that he would not resign in view of the widespread caste violence in the state. Singh said in a Twitter post, “At this crucial juncture, I want to clarify that I will not resign from the post of Chief Minister. PTI quoted sources as saying that there was speculation in Imphal since morning that the Chief Minister was considering resigning. The post follows fresh violence in the state on Thursday, in which three more people died and 5 others were injured.

Unconfirmed reports said that the CM had written a resignation letter, but his supporters convinced him to tear it into pieces. Earlier in the afternoon, hundreds of youths and women wearing black shirts sat in front of the CM residence and demanded that Biren Singh should not step down.

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At this crucial juncture, I want to make it clear that I will not resign from the post of Chief Minister. – N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) 30 June 2023

This comes after high-tension drama in Imphal when thousands of protesters blocked the Manipur CM’s motorcade heading towards the Raj Bhavan. However, when the women leader came out of his residence and told the crowd that the CM had assured them that he was not leaving, the crowd slowly left his residence.

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Women leader Kshetramayum Shanti said, “At this critical time, the Biren Singh government should remain strong and crack down on miscreants.”

The death toll in a shootout between security forces and suspected rioters in Kangpokpi district a day earlier rose to three on Friday, while one more person died in hospital, officials said.

Armed rioters started firing without provocation in Harothel village on Thursday. The army said that the security forces personnel “responded in a measured manner” to handle the situation.

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Members of the community to which the two rioters belonged collected their bodies on Thursday and took out a march to the chief minister’s residence here, he said.

Officials said the protesters, led by women, challenged the police to arrest them and were also seen burning tires in the middle of the road to block police movement.

As security personnel prevented them from marching to Singh’s residence, the marchers turned violent, prompting the police to use tear gas and lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

More than 100 people have died so far in caste violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state.

The Meiteis constitute about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. The tribals – the Nagas and the Kukis – form 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts.