Manipur Chief Minister and BJP leader N Biren Singh, who is visiting Delhi to discuss the Naga peace agreement and its repercussions on Manipur with the Centre, warned on Monday, 16 July, that he and his colleagues in the government will have to "leave our posts" if their consent is not taken on the issue.
Biren Singh’s visit comes amidst speculation that the Framework Agreement that the Centre signed with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaak-Muivah) (NSCN-IM) would soon be reaching its logical conclusion, raising concerns about whether the agreement would impact Manipur, especially its territorial integrity.
Asserting that the reaction of the people will be “uncontrollable” if anything happens due to the ongoing peace talks with Naga groups, Singh said:
Having met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, the Manipur CM – who is accompanied by his ministers and MLAs – said he told him about the purpose of their visit and discussed their apprehensions.
Emphasising that the central government should formally inform the Manipur assembly and the government before taking any decision arising out of the Naga issue, Singh added:
Earlier, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Singh had asserted that he would resign and rebel if he and his government feel wronged by the deal, and "if it hurts the sentiment of the people", but the Centre still decides to go ahead with it.
(With inputs from ANI.)
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