New Delhi: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh, on the receiving end of criticism over his handling of the still continuing violence in the state, met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Sunday, June 25 and was reportedly told that he cannot be seen as partial to a particular community.“We will reach out to everyone, including the Kuki community,” Biren told The Hindu after the meeting.A day before the meeting with Biren, Shah had hosted an all-party meeting in which he ruled out the possibility of president’s rule in the state, which has a Bharatiya Janata Party government. The only representative from Manipur in the all-party meeting, former CM Okram Ibobi Singh, said in a press conference that he was not given adequate time to put forth his suggestions.Biren was notably not present in the all-party meeting.In a tweet, Biren said he briefed home minister Shah “about the evolving situation on the ground”. He said the two governments have been able to control violence in the state “to a great extent” under Shah’s “close supervision.”Called on Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah Ji in New Delhi today and briefed about the evolving situation on the ground in Manipur. Under Amit Shah Ji’s close supervision, the State and Central Govt have been able to control the violence to a great extent in the past… pic.twitter.com/Rz4qToLDni— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) June 25, 2023He wrote, “Further, Amit Shah Ji advised us to strengthen our work towards achieving everlasting peace and also sought the cooperation of every stakeholders in Manipur to ensure that peace prevails in the State.”Biren noted in his tweet that he was joined at the meeting by BJP Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra, Rajya Sabha MP and Manipur’s titular king Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba and assembly speaker Th. Satyabrata Singh.‘Cannot be seen to be having sympathy for any particular community’After the meeting, Singh spoke to The Hindu and that Shah has advised him to “establish peace in the state and revive dialogue across communities including with the women group-the Meira Paibis and civil society organisations.”“We will reach out to everyone, including the Kuki community. They are also ours. The home minister advised us to work as a team and bring peace to the state,” Singh said.The newspaper also reported that Shah allegedly asked Biren to speak to women groups as they were becoming a “problem to security forces,” and also that the CM “cannot be seen to be having sympathy for any particular community.”“The chief minister was told that he has to drive home the point among the Meitei that Kukis will be reached out to,” an unnamed source told The Hindu.
