Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday, first such meeting between the two since ethnic violence erupted in the State more than 14 months ago, sources said. The meeting was also attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Mr. Singh, who is in Delhi for the past two days, earlier met the Prime Minister during two group meetings — the NITI Aayog meeting and during the meeting of Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States.
“The meeting ended on a positive note,” another source said.
People in Manipur as well as the Opposition parties have questioned the Prime Minister’s silence over the Manipur issue in the past one year. The Congress won both the Lok Sabha seats in the State in the recent general elections.
The meeting comes on a day when Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey was removed and newly appointed Governor of Assam, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, was given additional charge of the State.
Raj Bhavan, Manipur, however continued to post Ms. Uikey’s official engagements on X on Sunday as she was yet to hand over the charge.
“The Newly appointed Supreme Court judge, Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, met Governor Miss @AnusuiyaUikey at Raj Bhavan, Imphal,” said a post. Justice Singh is the first Supreme Court judge from Manipur.
“The Governor congratulated him on his outstanding work and wished him well in his new role, highlighting its importance for Manipur. She encouraged him to continue supporting and uplifting the people of the State,” the Raj Bhavan said on X.
At least 221 people have been killed and more than 60,000 people have been internally displaced since ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and Meitei people erupted in the State on May 3. 2023.
On July 6, in one of the first detailed remarks made in the Parliament, Mr. Modi told the Rajya Sabha that efforts were on to bring peace and history suggests that “social tensions” in the State are deep-rooted.
Earlier in the day, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh sought to know if Mr. Singh met Mr. Modi” separately one-on-one” and whether the former invited Mr. Modi to visit Manipur, “either before or after his trip to Ukraine?”
