BJP only party for Manipur : CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 24 2023: Claiming that there is no other party which thinks of Manipur like the BJP does, Chief Minister N Biren has said that the works being done by the Government to abolish poppy plantations, check influx of illegal immigrants and implement National Register of Citizens (NRC) are not targeted against any community in particular.

The Chief Minister also said that he had predicted of violence in a tweet uploaded on January 22, 2023 due to the mushrooming of unauthorised villages in hill districts.

He made the statements during the foundation stones laying ceremony of multiple projects during a programme held at Leitanpekpham Playground, Andro in Imphal East today.

The projects include Manipur Road Project to improve the road conditions in and around Keithelmanbi, Tumukhong and Moirangpurel and to build Ima Market and a football ground with natural grass at Andro.

The Ima Market and the football ground will be implemented by Manipur Police Housing Corporation Limited while the road improvement project will be carried out by DRDA, Imphal East.

At the ceremony, the Chief Minister continued that people have started realising what triggered the violence in Manipur.

It is unfortunate that people on both sides have been affected tremendously due to the ongoing conflict, he added.

Claiming that many unauthorised villages emerged in Manipur in the last 15 years, the Chief Minister reiterated that the Government carrying out drives to abolish poppy plantations, check influx of illegal immigrants and implement NRC are only to secure the future of the State and her people.

The Government has started collecting biometrics of foreigners while a measure has been taken up to update NRC in the context of Manipur, N Biren maintained and added that it is the illegal immigrants who indulge in widespread poppy plantations.

There is no bad blood with the old Kukis of Manipur at all, the Chief Minister stated.

Saying that the Government had witnessed many illegal immigrants settling in Manipur by establishing unauthorised villages, N Biren added that the Indian Government also knows all about the issue of illegal immigrants and poppy plantations in Manipur.

The Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) can only be enforced in the State whose 90 to 95 per cent of the population is tribals, N Biren maintained and added that the BJP Government, however, implemented ILPS in Manipur just to safeguard the indigenous people of the State.

Repeating that there is no other party which thinks more of Manipur than the BJP does, the Chief Minister clarified that the ongoing crisis in Manipur is not a conflict between the Kukis and Meiteis.

The violence in Manipur was triggered by influx of illegal immigrants, drug cartels, encroachment on protected and reserved forest areas and the emergence of several unauthorised villages and the same were presented clearly by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the floor of the Parliament, N Biren added.

Certain inimical elements have been trying to add religious colour to the crisis in Manipur and the same propaganda reached even the European Union and the United Nations, Biren maintained and contended that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had recently clarified that the violence in Manipur was caused by the influx of illegal immigrants and not an issue of majority group suppressing the minority people as depicted by some.

India had also advised the UN not to interfere in the internal affairs of the country, N Biren conveyed.

During whose time was it that several people were killed in fake encounters and free movement regime (FMR) implemented along 16 km of Indo-Myanmar border, he asked and added the BJP Government, on the other hand, has started erecting fences along the borders areas.

Two cadres of Chin-Kuki Liberation Army were arrested along with arms and ammunition yesterday, the Chief Minister reminded and added that the Centre and the State Government have been dealing with the foreign aggression and will continue to do so.

All the people living in Manipur should advocate peaceful coexistence, the Chief Minister maintained.

On the memorandum submitted by students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Andro, N Biren stated that the Cabinet has taken a decision to provide ex-gratia to the family of victims of Thambalnu Higher Secondary School, Yairipok who got killed in the Noney road mishap of December 2022 .

He also informed that the Government would consider the proposal to upgrade KGBV, Andro to Higher Secondary.

N Biren continued that a football ground with natural grass would be constructed with a cost of around Rs 8.52 crore at Andro He continued that the construction of Ima Market, Andro with a sanction amount of around Rs 3 crore is underway.

Works Minister Govindas Konthoujam said that violence in Manipur was orchestrated by those objecting to the move of the Government against encroachment on forest and protected forest areas and poppy plantations.

There are over one lakh drug addicts in Manipur and the same is worrisome as the State has a small population, he said.

The War on Drugs campaign of the Government was launched in the overall interest of the State, Govindas continued and asked why some sections of people are so aggrieved with the campaign.

The Government of India issued an order on May 29 to identify illegal immigrants living in Manipur, the Minister reminded and added that it is the BJP which led the people to see the reality of Manipur.

Some people have been arrested for hatching a conspiracy to disintegrate Manipur, Govindas continued.

He also said that some people are also scheming to take political mileage out of the situation in Manipur by levelling unfounded charges against the Government.

During the programme, the Chief Minister handed over job cards to some people.

Chairman of Manipur Tourism Corporation Limited Th Shyamkumar, Chairman of Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation Kh Ibomcha, MLAs Kh Loken, Th Arunkumar, chief of Andro, Senior Government officials, students and public of Andro also attended the programme among others.

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