Summoned Manipur CM arrives in Delhi, to meet Shah, Nadda

GUWAHATI:  Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on sunday landed in New Delhi after being summoned by the BJP’s central leadership for consultations. Ministers Thongam Biswajit Singh, Govindas Konthoujam, Y Khemchand, Th Basantakumar and BJP state president A Sharda Devi accompanied him.

They are likely to meet Union home minister Amit Shah and the BJP national president J P Nadda. This would be their first meeting since ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis broke out in Manipur on May 3. The unrest was against a proposal to include Meiteis — the state’s largest community — in the Scheduled Tribes list.

The BJP’s central leadership delayed the meeting with Singh in view of the Karnataka elections.
The trip also comes in the wake of the Kukis raising their pitch for statehood. Several Kuki leaders came together at a consultative meeting held in Kuki-majority Churachandpur on Saturday and demanded a separate state or a Union Territory status.

Two days ago, all 10 Kuki MLAs, including eight from the ruling BJP, had demanded a ‘separate administration’ for the Kukis. They said the “unabated violence” against the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi hill tribals has already partitioned the state. “We endorse our people’s political aspiration of separation from Manipur. We have decided to hold consultations at the earliest regarding the next steps,” a statement, jointly signed by the MLAs, said.