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Biren Singh
Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh claimed that certain powerful groups are deliberately trying to divert attention from the core problem of illegal immigrants in the state. Singh also said anti-nationals and anti-state elements must not be allowed to distract from the real issue of infiltrators. "When we began identifying illegal immigrants and refugees from the neighbouring country during the NDA government under my leadership, there was strong criticism from leaders of nearby states," he wrote on X on Friday evening. Singh also said, "Today, every neighbouring state, including Nagaland and Mizoram, has finally realised the gravity of the situation and has taken up strict action." His statement came in the wake of recent media reports of the Mizoram government completing 58.15 per cent of the biometric enrolment of 31,214 Myanmar refugees sheltered across 11 districts of the state. "Mizoram is moving at an impressive pace in identifying illegal immigrants. Yet Manipur,
Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh hailed the Assam Rifles for collecting biometrics of those who have been entering India illegally from Myanmar and said the influx of outsiders is "real and ongoing". His comment comes after Assam Rifles Director General Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, while addressing a programme at Manipur University on Wednesday, said that from December 31, 2024, the paramilitary force had "mapped 42,000 people coming here". "It is equally reassuring that these individuals are being kept under close watch, accommodated only at secure locations, and monitored under strict authority," Singh said on X on Wednesday evening. He shared a video clip of the Assam Rifles DG addressing the programme. Quoting Lakhera that "around 42,000 outsiders entered Manipur since December 2024", the former CM said, "I thank Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, AVSM, SM, DG Assam Rifles, for confirming that biometrics are being collected from illegal entrants crossing the Indo-Myanmar border." He al
Security forces arrested a cadre of the banned outfit Prepak from Manipur's Kamjong district, and a firearm along with ammunition was recovered from his possession, police said on Saturday. He was apprehended from a place near the Taret river under the Kasom Khullen Police Station limits on Thursday, a senior officer said. One 9 mm pistol, along with ammunition, was seized from the possession of the arrested militant, he said. During another operation, security forces recovered two firearms, three hand grenades and ammunition at Pangei Nepali Basti and its adjoining area in Imphal East district on Friday. Security forces have been conducting search operations in Manipur since ethnic violence broke out two years ago. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. The state ..
The Supreme Court on Monday perused a forensic report on authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging role of former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh in the ethnic violence and asked the state government to file a fresh report pertaining to the probe. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar opened the sealed cover report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) submitted by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and asked the law officer to seek instruction from the state officers with regard to investigation in the matter. The FSL report has been filed. We need a month to probe it, the law officer said, adding the matter can be taken up by the Manipur High Court now as peace is prevailing now and the probe can go on. Let us keep the petitioners aside and if something wrong has been done then let us look into it rather than protecting anyone, the CJI said. After perusing the report, the CJI asked the law officer that he will have to speak to the
Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said that thousands of refugees settled in the state since 1960s with the knowledge of the authorities and those people were provided assistance for rehabilitation. Singh, who resigned as the chief minister in February leading to imposition of President's Rule in the restive state, also wondered what happened to those families and whether those people were added to the electoral roll. His comments, made in a lengthy post on X, came a day after BJP MLAs of Manipur sought a review of the 2001 Census and implementation of the NRC before carrying out delimitation exercise in the state. Singh, when he was the CM, and the Centre accused illegal immigrants from Myanmar of largely being responsible for the ethnic violence in the state which left more than 250 people dead since May 2023. Official records show that even before we became a full-fledged state, thousands of refugees were settled here with the knowledge of the authorities
The Congress on Friday said the imposition of President's rule in Manipur is a direct admission of the failure of the BJP governments at the Centre and the state, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the people there. In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said there is a Constitutional crisis in Manipur that forced the imposition of President's rule. "Narendra Modi ji, It is your party which has been ruling at the Centre for 11 years. It is your party which was ruling Manipur for 8 years. It is the BJP which was responsible for maintaining Law & Order in the state. "It is your government which is responsible for National Security and border patrol. The imposition of President's rule by YOU, suspending YOUR own party's government is a direct admission on how YOU failed the people of Manipur," Kharge said. He said the government has imposed President's rule not because it wanted to, but because there is a Constitutional crisis in the state, as none .
All eyes are now on the BJP central leadership over its next step in strife-torn Manipur, a day after President's rule was imposed in the northeastern state and the assembly put under suspended animation. Security has been beefed up across the state following the Centre's announcement of President's rule, officials said. President's rule was imposed in Manipur and the assembly put under suspended animation on Thursday evening, days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post that led to political uncertainty in the state. The decision came as the BJP failed to build a consensus on a chief ministerial candidate, despite having several rounds of discussions between its northeast in-charge Sambit Patra and legislators. Singh, who was heading the BJP government in Manipur, resigned as chief minister after nearly 21 months of ethnic violence that has claimed over 250 lives so far. The Manipur assembly has a tenure till 2027. Talking to reporters soon after the announceme
Manipur has the highest number of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) business registrations in the northeastern region, Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said. Singh said that according to the 2018-19 Annual Report of the Ministry of MSME, the state registered 12,438 MSME businesses between 2015 and 2019. The chief minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the northeastern region is set to become the Growth Engine of New India'. Highlighting that Manipuri people are highly enterprising, Singh said, "The state alone has 12,438 MSME businesses, the highest in the northeast, between 2015 and 2019. Fifty per cent of these businesses are owned by women. Manipur's share in national population is 0.2 per cent while the state's share in MSME businesses is 0.3 per cent, he said. Singh said that the BJP-led state government has taken up various initiatives for the development of Manipur since its formation in 2017. One Family One Livelihood mission was
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday requested Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to send a team to examine the soaring price of air tickets from the state to other destinations. Speaking through video conferencing at the launch of three flights of Alliance Air under viability gap funding by the state government, Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Civil Aviation minister for extending support in bringing Alliance Air to Manipur. The Alliance Air will connect Imphal with Kolkata, Guwahati, and Dimapur in Nagaland from Wednesday.. "The price of air tickets is very high here. Please send a team here to examine what is happening. The Delhi to Imphal flight rate has almost gone up to Rs 20,000. Imphal to Guwahati has gone up to Rs 5,000 to 10,000. How common people can afford such high prices," he said. He said "Manipur is passing through a "difficult time" for the last 20 months, people are not moving out through the highways due to the ...
The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP government in Manipur of paying Rs 6.27 crore to a Kuki Zo militant outfit in July last year, even after breaking away from an agreement that entailed it to provide the money to the group. The money was given to the Hmar People's Convention (Democratic), a signatory of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, though the state government walked away from the pact in February 2023, Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra claimed in a press conference here. The HPC-D signed the SoO pact with the Manipur government in 2013 when the Congress was in power. According to the conditions laid down in the agreement, the HPC-D men would be allowed free movement anywhere in the state without firearms. Security forces would not launch any operation against its members unless they violate the terms and conditions of the SoO. "The state government gave Rs 6.27 crore in July 2024 to Hmar Peoples Convention (Democratic) by a cheque, though the st
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday requested the church, community and other leaders of the Naga community to take a greater role in resolving the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state. Clashes between Kuki and Meitei communities have left over 250 people dead and thousands homeless since May 2023. The Nagas were not involved in this conflict. Addressing a programme at Maram in Naga majority Senapati district, Singh said "I want to appeal to the Naga communities that a third party is required to resolve the current issues and for restoration of peace. For this, church and community leaders needs to take responsibilities and initiatives." All grievances and problems can be resolved under the Constitution and the laws of the Manipur government, he said. "Whatever happened has happened. As I said during my New Year's message, it's time to forget and forgive. We need to jointly walk on the path of peace and bring back the former Manipur. We need to jointly work together to
After Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday apologised for the ethnic conflict in the state, the Congress asked why can't Prime Minister Narendra Modi go there and do the same even though he travels across the country and the world. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the people of Manipur cannot understand their neglect by the prime minister, whom he accused of deliberately avoiding a visit to Manipur. "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," Ramesh said in his post. "The people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect," he said. His comments came hours after Biren Singh apologised for the ethnic conflict in Manipur, which claimed over 250 lives and rendered thousands homeless since May 2023, appealing to all communities to forget and forgive past mistakes and live together in a "peaceful"