In its letter to BJP national chief J P Nadda, the party’s Manipur unit has asked that Chief Minister N Biren Singh be given the leadership of the Unified Command which coordinates the multiple security agencies in the state. In asking for the leadership transfer, the state party unit also flagged an ambiguity, writing: “Revoke Article 355 if there is anything as such imposed in the state…” Article 355 empowers the Centre to take all necessary steps for a state’s security. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has denied that it has been imposed but uncertainty still remains in the state over this issue. Meanwhile, a youth collective from the Meitei-dominated valley region, ‘Youth of Manipur’, Saturday met a group of state ministers and MLAs camped in Delhi, demanding a change in chief minister. A statement by the Manipur government said its demand was found to be “unrelated to the core issues and, regrettably, unacceptable.” Widespread protests broke out in Manipur’s valley areas last week after photos emerged purportedly showing two missing Meitei youngsters dead. In the letter to Nadda, signed by Manipur BJP chief A Sharda Devi along with seven other senior office-bearers, the party unit had written: “Public anger and protest is now slowly turning the tide, putting the sole onus of this prolonged disturbances solely into the failure of the government in dealing with this situation,” even while stating that the government is working “unstopped day and night” to bring normalcy in the state. In the letter, it has put forward eight points as general public demands. One of these points states that as a step to “re-establish full confidence and trust to the Government in dealing with the situation” the full command of the Unified Command in the state should be transferred to the Chief Minister. One of the announcements Union Home Minister Amit Shah had made at the end of his visit to Manipur in May during the conflict was the establishment of a Unified Command for better coordination among the different security agencies which are deployed in the state, with Manipur’s security advisor and former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh heading the new body. Another appeal raised by the state BJP was that the central leadership “persuade” the Prime Minister to give an appointment to the team of MLAs and ministers that has been camping in Delhi since mid-September.
