Manipur CM hits out at BJP baiters, says party defender of indigenous people

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday launched a scathing attack on those who blamed the BJP for the ethnic strife in the state.

Addressing 'karyakartas' at the party head office here, Singh said, 'Over the past six months, I kept asking myself what fault did we commit? Was it a serious error to launch a campaign to identify illegal immigrants who otherwise would have swallowed the indigenous people of the state?' "Was it a fault to start a war on drugs to save the youths. Was it also a fault to have stopped the massive deforestation which only destroyed the natural beauty, but also led to emergence of new villages and widespread poppy cultivation," Singh asked.

"My conscience is clear. I am not wrong. BJP is not wrong. The only fault of the BJP is to take up such initiatives to protect the indigenous people of the state," Singh said.

"If these steps had not been taken up by the party and the government, imagine the situation of the state a decade later,' Singh said, adding, 'BJP will work for a united Manipur...There is no other party which can save the state's people," the CM said and emphasised on the work done by the BJP for the welfare of the people including implementation of Inner Line Permit and removal of AFSPA from majority of valley areas of the state.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Shah have given approval to fence around 100km of the Manipur section of the Indo-Myanmar border," Singh said and asked, "Which party or government had launched a biometric campaign to identify illegal immigrants. The unrest we are seeing today is because of such campaigns being taken up."

On the recent peace deal between the Centre and United National Liberation Front, Singh said, "The peace agreement was not an instant thing. It took three to four years to such an agreement."