Under attack, Biren Singh hits back at Mizoram CM Laldukhome | Latest Indian News

The unprecedented statement came a day after Lalduhoma said Singh was a liability to the state, its people and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that even the President’s rule was preferable to his administration due to his inability to control the violence plaguing Manipur. already 18 months.

“The CM of Mizoram can demonstrate better statesmanship by being a good neighbor rather than fanning the flames of hatred and discord,” the Manipur government said in a lengthy statement.

Also read: HT Interview: Biren Singh is a burden to party and state, says Mizo CM Lalduhoma

“The Manipur government strongly disapproves of Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma’s comments on the internal affairs of Manipur in an interview published in Hindustan Times.”

The controversy comes amid mounting pressure on Singh, whose government has failed to quell rising violence in Manipur, especially after the killing of 10 tribal members and the brutal killing of six Meitei tribesmen in recent weeks. About 260 people have died in ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities but has since spread across the state.

Mizoram is not only a neighbor of Manipur but is also home to a large number of Kuki Zo people.

In an interview published Friday, Lalduhoma said he believed there was no point in advising Singh, who has resisted calls for his removal from within and outside his party. Last week, the National People’s Party withdrew its support even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah held an emergency meeting in Delhi. “I am sorry to say that he (Biren Singh) is a liability to the state of Manipur. He was a liability to his people and his party,” Lalduhoma said. “If his services are still needed, then in my opinion it is a necessary evil. More evil and less necessary.”

Also read: ‘Unprecedented unrest’: Kharge asks President Murmu to intervene in Manipur

On Friday evening, Manipur responded by saying Lalduhoma’s political career was not without controversy. “In 1986, he earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first lawmaker in the country to be removed from office under the anti-defection law. Thirty-four years later, in 2020, he also became the first MLA in the country to be disqualified for allegedly violating the same law,” the statement said.

Manipur objected to Lalduhoma’s objections to the fencing of the India-Myanmar border and his dream of uniting the Zaw people, pointing to a controversial speech given in the US in September. The Mizoram CM clarified that his speech was distorted and that he was calling for the unification of the Zo people under Indian rule.

“The Mizoram government has steadfastly opposed the Indian government’s efforts to fence open borders with neighboring Myanmar to curb illegal immigration, arms and drug trafficking, internal security and defense. Myanmar is the source of most of the illegal immigration and drug problems faced by Manipur,” the Manipur government said.

“The ongoing crisis in Manipur is the creation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, whose economy, after settling illegally in the state due to cultivation of illicit poppy, was severely damaged during Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s war on drugs. This is not due to any anti-tribal policies of the state government as has been falsely portrayed by the Mizoram CM through fabricated narratives and history,” the statement said.

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The Manipur statement claimed that Mizoram had also restricted the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar due to fears of pressure on land, livelihoods and resources. “The Mizoram CM is using double standards when he criticizes the Manipur government’s decision to tackle the issue of illegal immigration in a Manipur-like manner as ‘anti-tribal’,” it said.

“When Mizoram does this, it is completely normal. But when Manipur does it, it is anti-tribal. Why double standards? This is stated in the title of the statement issued by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Manipur.

“The Chief Minister of Mizoram should note that Manipur has a rich history and rich culture dating back thousands of years, unlike Mizoram which was carved out into Assam just a few decades ago,” it added.

The Manipur government has highlighted its efforts to combat drugs and illegal immigration, saying that the number of villages in some areas inhabited by Kuki communities has increased manifold. “The Biren Singh government is making continuous efforts to restore peace and normalcy,” the statement said.

He also strongly objected to Lalduhoma’s call for the unification of the Zo people. “India must be wary of the broader program of creating a Christian Kuki Chin nation from the contiguous territories of Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, carried out over decades of careful planning through illegal immigration, land grabbing, displacement of indigenous indigenous peoples,” the government statement said.

The Manipur government said such efforts were aimed at pushing illegal immigrants from Mizoram to Manipur to grab land.

“The Manipur government will not allow the fragmentation of Northeast India at the behest of foreign vested interests or such separatist interests as are openly supported by the Mizoram CM. Any person, group or organization working with such intentions will be met with the strong arm of the law.”