Congress targets BJP over MLAs 'skipping' NDA meet in Manipur: 'Writing is on wall but is Amit Shah reading it?,' asks Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday targeted the BJP over a section of ruling NDA MLAs skipping a meeting called by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, saying  the "writing on the wall is clear" and alleged that the signature of three lawmakers in a publicised list of attendees of the deliberations were "forged".

The Chief Minister had on Monday evening convened a meeting of ruling NDA MLAs in which 26 MLAs attended while seven informed Singh about their inability to attend the meeting while 11 others skipped it without providing any reason. Manipur Assembly has 60 MLAs.

"Other than him (Singh), only 26 showed up. Of these 26, four belong to the NPP whose national president (Conrad Sangma) has already written to the BJP National President (JP Nadda) withdrawing support to the present Chief Minister," Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said in a post on 'X'.

"The writing on the wall is clear. But is the grand sutradhar of Manipur - the Union Home Minister, to whom the Prime Minister has abdicated and outsourced all responsibility for the state - reading it? How long will the excruciating agony of the people of Manipur continue like this?" he added.

Manipur Congress leaders believe that Singh's days in the government appears to be numbered and a decision from central BJP may come after the polling in Maharashtra and Jharkhand is over on Wednesday. 

They also point to NPP supremo and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's remarks that they could reconsider their decision withdrawing support to the Manipur government if BJP changes Singh as Chief Minister.

At the same time, these leaders also point to the resolution passed by the MLAs at the meeting chaired by Singh on Monday where a seven day ultimatum has been given to the union government to take action against Kuki militants or they would decide on the future course of action in "consultation with people of the state" and said it could mean that Singh is ready for another fight.

In a separate post, Ramesh also raised doubts about the total number of attendees alleging that signatures of three MLAs who were claimed to have attended the meeting were "forged".

"Now we gather that the signatures of 3 MLAs who were supposedly present have been forged. So the ACTUAL number of NDA MLAs present was just 24, including the Chief Minister," he said. 

Ramesh, who along with Manipur Congress leaders met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, told reporters that it came to be known that these three MLAs were not present in the meeting.

He said the BJP government in Manipur is in minority and with just five MLAs, Congress cannot take up responsibility but can say that the Chief Minister has no majority in the Assembly. 

He also said I.N.D.I.A bloc parties would discuss the issue ahead of Parliament's Winter Session beginning next Monday and finalise a strategy on raising it in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.