Guwahati/New Delhi:

Local media reports of a purported letter allegedly written by 19 BJP MLAs in Manipur to their party’s central leadership has again sparked a buzz over rebellion against Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The BJP leadership at the centre had earlier ruled out a change in the top post amid the ethnic tension between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur.

This is not the first time such speculation over Biren Singh’s post has come up. In the last few years, a group of Manipur MLAs had camped in Delhi at least half a dozen times, seeking his replacement.

Leaked portions of the purported letter showed the first signatures as that of Speaker Th Satyabrata, and ministers Th Bishwajit and Y Khemchand.

While Mr Bishwajit and Mr Khemchand are known dissenters – they had asked for Biren Singh’s removal several times in the past – Mr Satyabrata has so far been known to be a loyalist of the Chief Minister.

READ | Meitei, Kuki, Naga MLAs Meet In Delhi To Solve Manipur Crisis

NDTV could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter signed by the 19 MLAs, which they reportedly gave to the central leadership on Wednesday, a day after Meitei, Naga and Kuki MLAs met separately with the Centre in Delhi for the first time since the Manipur violence began in May 2023.

The MLAs who went to Delhi on Tuesday included those from the BJP and its allies Naga People’s Front, Janata Dal United, and National People’s Party.

“At this juncture, the people of Manipur are raising questions to us, in particular the BJP-led government, as to why peace and normalcy cannot be restored, and the plight of people could not be alleviated yet. We as fervent supporters of BJP and having won the mandate of the people feel that we have a responsibility of saving Manipur along with saving BJP from downfall in Manipur,” the 19 MLAs wrote in the purported letter.

In July this year, Biren Singh had called speculation of his resignation an attempt by political rivals who wanted to take advantage of the situation in the state hit by ethnic crisis. “Manipur is passing through a troubled time. In such a crucial time, the leaders of Manipur can’t afford to be weak. We are fully confident of our abilities,” he had said at an event in the state capital Imphal.

READ | Manipur’s N Biren Singh “Almost Quits”, Torn Resignation Letter Emerges

On June 30 last year, nearly two months into the ethnic violence, Biren Singh was on the verge of resigning, but changed his mind under public pressure, state BJP leaders had said. He had started out for the Governor’s house to give his resignation letter, but turned around after a huge show of support outside his Imphal home where the crowds shouted slogans against his decision to step down, under fire over his handling of the violence in the state.

A copy of Biren Singh’s resignation letter was torn up by his supporters after snatching it from a minister who had come out of his house to read out the letter to the public.

Imphal/Guwahati:

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressed optimism about finding a solution to the ethnic violence in the state as he left for Delhi from the state capital Imphal to attend a key meeting of the government think tank NITI Aayog.

Mr Singh will also attend a chief ministers’ conclave, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Singh is hopeful for a one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the state’s issues and find a solution to restore normalcy.

Since May 3, 2023, Manipur has been hit by unprecedented ethnic violence between the valley-dominant Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur. Over 220 were killed and nearly 50,000 were internally displaced.

The Chief Minister said he is confident that the meetings in Delhi will provide an opportunity to brief the Prime Minister on Manipur’s critical issues. “Some positive developments will surely come out,” he added.

Responding to the Opposition’s criticism of Finance Minister N Sitharaman’s Union Budget, the Manipur Chief Minister said the BJP’s rivals are playing “petty politics”. The Opposition has claimed the Budget offered nothing for Manipur, hit by violence and floods.

Mr Singh said the Centre has provided enough grants to address the resource crunch caused by the unrest and natural disasters. He asked the Opposition to avoid playing “petty politics” during this critical time.

On Wednesday night’s incident in Jiribam district where a house was set on fire, Mr Singh said the incident is unrelated to the ethnic violence. He said it was a “stray incident” caused by elements who want to exploit the ethnic tension for their personal agenda, and added the police have found some leads that will definitely lead to arrests soon.

On the upcoming Manipur assembly session starting July 31, Mr Singh said efforts are going on to ensure the participation of the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, including two Council of Ministers, who have abstained from proceedings since the violence began.

These 10 MLAs have demanded a division of Manipur along ethnic lines in the form of a separate administration.

“We are inviting them. I’ve also personally invited them. The assembly is also inviting them. They should come and attend the house when in session. We will facilitate their presence in the house if they seek my assistance and cooperation,” the Chief Minister said.