Manipur crisis: Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh criticizes Chidambaram’s comments | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh expressed his disagreement with a now-deleted post on X by senior party leader P. Chidambaram on the ongoing crisis in Manipur. The post, which was later deleted, sparked controversy for its critical stance towards the state leadership and its discussion on regional autonomy for the Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga communities.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ibobi Singh revealed that he personally spoke to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after seeing the post, expressing concern that the statement, though Chidambaram’s personal opinion, could lead to widespread misunderstandings in Manipur.
“I immediately informed the party leadership and spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge. I emphasized that this may be Chidambaram’s personal opinion but this has the potential to create a lot of misunderstandings in the state,” Ibobi Singh said. After this intervention, the post was removed by the Congress leadership.
The social media statement in question had criticized Manipur CM Biren Singh and suggested that the Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga communities could coexist in the same state only if they were given regional autonomy. Chidambaram’s comments also included a demand for the immediate removal of CM Biren Singh, whom he blamed for the escalating crisis in the state. The situation has been further complicated by ongoing tensions and violence, including the recent killing of six innocent people, including women and children.
Chidambaram had also expressed concern over the deployment of additional armed central police personnel in Manipur and called for a more thoughtful and humane approach to the crisis. He criticized the central government for deploying an additional 5,000 armed police officers, suggesting that the solution lay not in military reinforcement but in addressing the leadership issue at the state level.
“Rushing in another five thousand armed policemen is not the answer to the crisis in ManipurChidambaram had written in his post. “It is wiser: recognize that Mr. Biren Singh, the Prime Minister, is the cause of the crisis and remove him immediately. It is more understanding: that the Meitei, the Kuki-Zo and the Naga can only live together in one state if they have real regional autonomy. It is more statesmanship, if the honorable Prime Minister gives up his stubbornness, visits Manipur and speaks with humility to the people of Manipur and learns first-hand their grievances and aspirations.”
The controversy comes amid a period of unrest in Manipur, where tensions between different communities have led to violent clashes and casualties.
The ethnic conflict in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups has intensified and has claimed more than 220 lives since the previous year. The opposition Congress party has demanded the resignation of the home minister, holding both he and the state’s chief minister responsible for the deteriorating situation. Following the recent Manipur Assembly resolution, there has been a call for comprehensive action against Kuki militant groups and a reassessment of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Authorities have further extended internet restrictions in several districts until November 20, due to continued instability in the area.