N Biren Singh govt is anti-Kuki: Kuki People’s Alliance president Tongmang Haokip

A day after withdrawing support to the N Biren Singh-led coalition government in Manipur, Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) president Tongmang Haokip today termed the Biren Singh government as anti-Kuki and said that with the change in current situation and in the light of the present violence against Kukis, the KPA was left with no option but to pull out of the BJP-led government.

“The situation has now changed because the present government is anti-Kuki people. Even the CM himself has openly denounced us the Kukis as a terrorist group, narco-terrorists and outsider or foreigner and also poppy cultivators and drug smugglers and what not. So this sort of allegation coming from the Head of the State, Chief Minister himself is such an affront to the Kuki community. As such we have been all along supporting the present government but we find that in this situation we have no way out other than withdrawing support to the present government,” President Haokip told news agency ANI.

The KPA president added that his party had decided to support the N Biren Singh government on the ground that the BJP would work for the Kuki people and safeguard the interests of the Kuki people. But now the government has failed to ensure the safety and security of the Kuki people.

Earlier, in a letter to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, KPA president Tongmang Haokip wrote, “After careful consideration of the current conflagration, the continued support for the incumbent government of Manipur led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh is no longer fructuous.”
“Accordingly, the support of the KPA to the Government of Manipur is hereby withdrawn, and can be considered null and void, ” the statement added.

KPA had two MLAs in the Manipur Assembly – Kimneo Haokip Hangshing from Saikul Assembly Constituency and Chinlunthang from Singngat Assembly Constituency.

In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, BJP has 32 MLAs and the party enjoys the support of five NPF MLAs and three independent legislators.

The opposition legislators include seven from the NPP, five from the Congress, and six from the JD (U).