Manipur CM hits out at NDA govt at Centre for ‘causing instablity’

Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Sunday hit out at the BJP-led central government for “causing instability” in the northeastern state.

“Whenever the BJP comes to power at the Centre, there is always instability in Manipur,” he said at an election meeting at Kwakeithel Moirang Purel in Imphal West district ahead of the June 2 municipal polls.

Though he did not elaborate on his accusation, the Congress leader’s reference was to the June 18, 2001 violence during which 18 people were killed and many others injured in protests following the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government extending the ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Issak-Muivah “without territorial limits”.

Since last year, Manipur has been experiencing agitations demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system. A student was killed and over 500 others injured.

On the other hand, nine people were killed in Churachandpur district during rallies protesting against the demand for the ILP. For nearly one month, the state has also been under siege demanding enactment of the three anti-migrant bills passed by the state assembly on August 31, last year.

Attacking the Narendra Modi government, Ibobi Singh said: “The UPA government had introduced the Look East policy. The NDA changed it to Act East Policy. People have not seen any change in the past two years.

“Whatever projects commissioned in Manipur were started during the UPA. Now rail line is extended up to Tupul in Manipur and it was done during the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh.”

The first-ever election meeting for the June 2 Imphal municipal corporation polls was held under heavy security arrangements after activists demanded that the political parties should go to New Delhi and meet President Pranab Mukherjee on the ILP issue instead of canvassing for the polls in Imphal.