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CM Biren Singh hits back at Congress' Jairam Ramesh over ‘sorry’ for Manipur unrest, targets former PMs
Biren Singh questioned Congress whether former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and IK Gujral had visited Manipur to apologise for past conflicts.
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday attributed the ongoing turmoil in the northeastern state to the “past sins” of the Congress, including the repeated settlement of Burmese refugees.
His statement came after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't visit Manipur and apologise to the people for the tensions.
Earlier on Tuesday, during a press conference, Biren Singh said, “I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones, and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise.”
Jairam Ramesh reacted to his apology in a post on X, saying, “Why can’t the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there? He has deliberately avoided visiting the state since May 4, 2023, even as he jets around the country and the world. The people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect.”
Read: Manipur CM’s apology evokes mixed response
Biren Singh responded to Jairam Ramesh's post, saying, “Everyone, including yourself, is aware that Manipur is in turmoil today because of the past sins committed by the Congress, such as the repeated settlement of Burmese refugees in Manipur and the signing of the SoO Agreement with Myanmar-based militants in the state, spearheaded by @PChidambaram_IN during his tenure as the Home Minister of India.”
Biren Singh clarified that his apology was a sincere expression of grief for the displaced people and urging forgiveness.
“The apology I extended today was a sincere act of expressing my grief for the people who have been left displaced and become homeless. As a Chief Minister, it was an appeal to forgive and forget what had happened. However, you brought politics into it,” said Singh.
“Let me remind you: The Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,300 people and the displacement of thousands more. The violence persisted for several years, with periodic escalations occurring between 1992 and 1997, though the most intense period of conflict was in 1992–1993. The clashes began in 1992 and continued at varying intensities for around five years (1992–1997). This period marked one of the bloodiest ethnic conflicts in northeast India, deeply affecting relations between the Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur,” the chief minister added.
Also read: 77% of insurgency incidents in NE from Manipur alone: MHA
Biren Singh questioned whether former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and IK Gujral had visited Manipur to apologise for past conflicts, accusing the Congress of politicising the issue instead of focusing on solutions.
“Did Shri PV Narasimha Rao, who served as the Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996 and was the President of the Indian National Congress during this time, come to Manipur to extend an apology? The Kuki-Paite clashes claimed 350 lives in the state. During most of the Kuki-Paite clashes (1997–1998), Shri IK Gujral was the Prime Minister of India. Did he visit Manipur and say sorry to the people? Instead of putting efforts to solve the core issues in Manipur, why is the @INCIndia playing politics over it all the time?” Biren Singh said in the post on X.
Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been split by ethnic clashes between Meitei community, which is in majority in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kukis, who are dominant in hill districts.
The violence has claimed at least 260 lives and rendered about 50,000 people homeless.
