Senior CPI(M) leader Jitendra Chaudhury, who is currently visiting strife-torn Manipur as part of a party delegation, demanded on Saturday that Chief Minister N Biren Singh be removed for "failing to restore normalcy". Chaudhury, the Tripura unit's general secretary and a member of the CPI(M) delegation on a three-day visit to the violence-torn state, claimed that the ethnic violence in the northeastern state was part of the BJP-RSS' strategy of dividing people across the country.
The BJP, on the other hand, dismissed the CPI(M) leader's allegations as unfounded and claimed that the state was on the path to peace.
"We do not see the conflict in Manipur as an isolated incident, but as part of the BJP-RSS' pan-India strategy of dividing people and instilling distrust in order to rule them. Such incidents occur all the time," Chaudhury was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
On Friday, a CPI(M) delegation led by national general secretary Sitaram Yechury visited three relief camps in Manipur and met with Governor Anusuiya Uikey.
"The situation in Manipur is concerning, and mistrust is growing by the day. Instead of bringing peace, the Biren Singh government in the state has failed to take any visible steps towards restoring normalcy," he added further.
"The Centre has stated that it will monitor the situation in Manipur, but the reality on the ground is very different. Biren Singh, who has become indispensable following his much-publicized resignation drama, is currently running the show," the CPI(M) leader claimed.
"We do not demand the resignation of Manipur's BJP-led government, but rather the immediate removal of Biren Singh," he said.
Subrata Chakraborty, chief spokesperson for the Tripura BJP, dismissed Chaudhury's allegations and stated that peace will gradually return to Manipur.
"Both the Union and the Manipur governments are attempting to restore normalcy in the northeastern state. Despite a few isolated incidents, the overall situation has improved. A CPI(M) delegation is currently in the state fishing in troubled waters," the BJP leader claimed.
On May 3, ethnic clashes between Kukis and Meiteis erupted in the northeastern state following a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis make up roughly 53% of Manipur's population and live primarily in the Imphal Valley. Tribals (Nagas and Kukis) make up slightly more than 40% of the population and live in the hill districts.