By The Sampadak Express
The Congress party on Sunday labeled the resignation of N Biren Singh as the Chief Minister of Manipur as “belated” and mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “frequent-flier,” urging him to visit the strife-torn state.
Singh’s resignation came after mounting pressure, and Congress wasted no time in attacking both Singh and the Modi government. Singh submitted his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan in Imphal.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge compared Singh’s resignation to “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted,” pointing to the prolonged violence and turmoil in the state. He criticized the Modi-led BJP government for its handling of the Manipur crisis, accusing it of “disdain and apathy.”
Kharge further lamented that for over 21 months, the BJP had stoked tensions in Manipur, leaving its citizens to cope with the aftermath. He said, “Their rank incompetence and utter disregard for Rajdharma resulted in at least 258 deaths, over 5,600 firearms and 6.5 lakh rounds of ammunition being looted, more than 60,000 displaced, and thousands forced to live in relief camps.”
The Congress chief also took aim at Prime Minister Modi, accusing him of neglecting Manipur. Kharge stated, “It is painful to say that Modi ji has forgotten that Manipur is a part of India. He must locate it on the map and understand its plight.”
Kharge went on to highlight that Modi had not visited Manipur since his election campaign in January 2022, while the prime minister had traveled extensively abroad during this period. He called on Modi to visit Manipur, especially now that Singh had resigned, and listen to the “horror stories” from the people.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also weighed in, asserting that Singh’s resignation was due to growing public pressure, the intervention of the Supreme Court, and Congress’s threat to move a no-confidence motion in the assembly.Gandhi remarked, “For nearly two years, Chief Minister Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. Prime Minister Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of India’s unity in Manipur. The resignation shows that public pressure, the SC investigation, and our no-confidence motion have finally forced a reckoning.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh added that the party had been demanding Singh’s resignation since May 2023, noting that Singh had only resigned after sensing the shifting political climate. Ramesh further criticized Prime Minister Modi for neglecting the state, calling him a “frequent-flier” and pointing out that he had found time to visit countries like France and the US, but had ignored Manipur for over 20 months.
With the resignation of N Biren Singh, the Congress party now hopes that the prime minister will finally pay attention to the plight of the people of Manipur.
