Manipur Congress president denies jumping shift after his photo appears on BJP poster

Imphal: Manipur Congress president TN Haokip on Sunday scotched rumour about his joining the BJP started in the social media.

Haokip’s face appeared in a poster pasted on a wall in Imphal, which triggered immediate speculation by the social media that he was joining the saffron party.

An annoyed Haokip, a former Speaker of the Manipur assembly, called a press conference to deny the speculation and said that he would approach the cyber crime department of the police and move court, if necessary.

“My personal integrity is not for sale,” he said adding as long as he was in active politics, he would stay with the Congress.

A “huge conspiracy is under way” to tarnish his image, he alleged saying that several other Congress leaders of the state weer also being ’targeted by its rival'.

Haokip, however, said that “his friend” and chief minister N Biren Singh might not be aware of this “possible conspiracy”.

“BJP has been indulging in both money and muscle power to capture power in neighbouring states,” he alleged.

No senior BJP leader was ready to talk about the issue, but party sources revealed that Haokip’s face was printed in the poster by mistake.