Biren meets Governor, some cabinet ministers suggest resignation
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 07 2024:
After an emergency state cabinet meeting held late Friday evening amidst mounting civilian casualties due to fresh attacks by Kuki militants using drones and rockets, a meeting of the ruling party's MLAs was convened on Saturday but many BJP MLAs did not attend the meet presumably out of disappointment.
After the end of the ruling party's MLAs' meeting, chief minister N Biren Singh went to meet Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya late Saturday evening and discussed the prevailing situation in the state.
It was a closed-door meeting starting from 7.30 pm and there was no indication of resignation of CM Biren or council of ministers as of now.
It is learnt that during the emergency cabinet meet held late Friday, some cabinet ministers openly suggested chief minister N Biren Singh to resign in view of the prevailing tense situation and the state government's inability to protect lives and properties of the people.
The present BJP government led by chief minister N Biren Singh has a total of 55 MLAs including coalition partners.
Excluding the five Opposition MLAs and 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, the present government has 45 MLAs but only 27 MLAs attended the Saturday's meeting of the ruling MLAs held at CM secretariat from 5 pm.
It is also learnt that some cabinet ministers and some BJP MLAs did not attend the meeting despite giving prior information.
NPF MLAs including two ministers attended the meeting.
NPP MLA Sheikh Norool Hassan did not attend the meeting due to health condition.
Ministers Th Biswajit, Y Khemchand and Th Basantakumar also did not attend the meeting.
After the meeting, a delegation of ruling MLAs led by CM Biren went to meet Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Raj Bhavan at around 7.30 pm.
Though details of the meeting could not be immediately ascertained, a source informed that reinstating the Unified Command chairman post to chief minister so that the present situation could be put under control as agreed during the ruling MLAs' meet was placed to the Governor.
The Governor was also urged to apprise the Centre for initiating stringent action against Kuki militants, who are using dangerous modern weapons including drones and rockets to attack civilians.
Meanwhile, another source informed that the emergency state cabinet meeting convened late Friday evening discussed the prevailing situation in Manipur after fresh attacks by Kuki militants on civilians using sophisticated weapons and measures to be taken up by government to control the situation.
During the cabinet meet, some ministers openly suggested chief minister N Biren Singh to resign in view of the prevailing situation and civilian casualties due to renewed attacks by Kuki militants using drones and rockets.
The ministers reportedly told the chief minister that people's anger over the state government's inability to protect lives and properties of the people from Kuki militants' attack cannot be taken lightly and inattention of the people's voice would not yield good result.
People's voice will reach the Centre fully if the chief minister resigns and the council of ministers will also automatically cease if the CM resigns, the ministers reportedly suggested, while assuring that people's trust would not lose if the CM resigns.
The source further said that CM Biren Singh did not give any opinion to the suggestion given by the ministers for resignation but called for discussing the matter with MLAs of the ruling party.
Accordingly, a meeting of ruling MLAs was convened from 5 pm and continued will 7 pm with only 27 MLAs including CM Biren in attendance.
CM Biren, however, is calling another meeting of the ruling party's MLAs on Sunday at 11 am.
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