IMPHAL —
A day before a crucial Assembly session, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh
on Sunday submitted his resignation to Governor A.K. Bhalla. Biren Singh,
however, has been requested by the Governor to continue as the caretaker CM.
- In the letter to the Governor, Biren Singh said that he was
"extremely grateful to the Central government for timely actions,
interventions, developmental work and implementation of various projects for
safeguarding the interest of every single Manipuri".
- "My sincere request to the Central government through
your good office is to continue with the same. I take the opportunity to
enumerate the most important ones of them," he said, citing these as
maintaining the "territorial integrity of Manipur which has a rich and
diverse civilizational history over thousands of years", cracking down
"on border infiltration and to formulate policy for the deportation of the
illegal immigrants" and "the fight against drugs and narco
terrorism".
-
- He also listed the "stringent and fool-proof revised
mechanism of FMR with the biometric being stringently applied" and
"time bound and faster border which is underway".
-
- Nongthombam Biren Singh, 64, took over as the 12th Chief
Minister of Manipur on March 15, 2017, after leading the BJP to its first
victory in the state, and retained power in the 2022 Assembly elections.
-
- However, the ethnic violence between Meitis and Kuki-Zos
that broke out in May 2023 in the state, had cast a cloud over his second term.
-
- Meanwhile, a senior official of the Raj Bhavan said that
Singh along with a few ministers and other leaders met Governor Ajay Kumar
Bhalla and submitted his resignation letter.
-
- He said that the Governor has requested Singh to continue in
his office as the caretaker Chief Minister.
-
