“The Writing On The Wall Is Clear”: Jairam Ramesh’s Swipe At MLAs ‘Skipping’ NDA Meet In Manipur
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP over some ruling NDA MLAs reportedly skipping a meeting held by Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. The party said the writing on the wall is clear and asked whether Home Minister Amit Shah is reading it.
He later tweeted that signatures of three MLAs who were supposedly present have been “forged.”
Also Read | Manipur: Amit Shah Reviews Situation, Conrad Sangma’s NPP Withdraws Support For Biren Singh
The Congress party stated that Singh had called a meeting in Imphal of all NDA MLAs, but only 26 showed up. Out of these 26, four belonged to the National People’s Party (NPP), “whose National President has already written to the BJP National President withdrawing support to the present CM.”
“The writing on the wall is clear. But is the grand sutradhar of Manipur – the Union Home Minister, to whom the PM has abdicated and outsourced all responsibility for the state – reading it?” the Congress general secretary in-charge communications asked in an X post.
Jairam Ramesh further asked how long the “excruciating agony” of the citizens of Manipur will continue like this.
Now we gather that the signatures of 3 MLAs who were supposedly present have been forged.
So the ACTUAL number of NDA MLAs present was just 24, including the CM. https://t.co/k0af2F2m3J
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 19, 2024
The grand old party later alleged that the actual number of members in attendance was just 24, including the chief minister himself.
The opposition party had demanded Prime Minister Modi visit Manipur ahead of the Parliament session to meet political leaders, civil society groups, and the public.
Also Read | “Misleading”: 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs Say Never Met Manipur CM, Centre Lied In Supreme Court
Manipur remains deeply divided along ethnic lines, with the Meitei community dominating the Imphal Valley, while the Kuki and other tribal groups reside in the surrounding hill districts. The enclaves are separated by a volatile stretch of no-man’s land under heavy federal security. Meiteis account for 53 percent of the population, while tribals, including the Nagas and Kukis, constitute slightly over 40 percent.
Tensions escalated in May 2023 over the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, triggering violent clashes that have claimed over 250 lives. The Union government recently reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in violence-prone areas, including Jiribam, to stabilize the situation.
