Ahead of PM Modi’s likely visit to Manipur, relief for govt as Nagas ‘temporarily suspend’ highway blockade
13 BJP office-bearers from a constituency resign, but party downplays it saying they were involved in “anti-party” activities since 2022 polls
PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Manipur on September 13, his first visit to the state since violence broke out in 2023. 
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Two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Manipur, the apex group of Nagas in the state on Thursday temporarily lifted its “trade embargo” on transit routes passing through Naga-majority districts.
In a statement, the United Naga Council (UNC) said it decided to lift the blockade following the government’s request. “The organisation held an emergency meeting in Senapati district and decided to temporarily suspend the indefinite blockade from 6 pm on Thursday,” it said. Key highways through which goods enter the state, including National Highway 2 and NH-37, pass through Naga-majority districts such as Senapati and Tamenglong.
The UNC launched an indefinite “trade embargo” on September 9 to protest against the construction of a fence along the India-Myanmar border and the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two countries.
In a letter to the UNC on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had been engaging with it on the issue of the border fence in Naga-inhabited areas. “The next tripartite meeting with UNC will be held on a mutually convenient date and venue,” Goel said, urging the outfit to withdraw its agitation in the larger public interest.
BJP hit by resignations
While the UNC decision came as a relief for the government, 13 BJP office-bearers and their supporters resigned citing a “lack of inclusiveness and consultation”.In a joint statement, the leaders from the Phungyar constituency said, “We, the members, expressed our deep concern over the present state of affairs within the party and highlighted a lack of consultation, inclusiveness, and respect for grassroots leadership as major reasons. Our loyalty to the party and its ideology has always been unwavering. We reaffirmed our commitment to work for the welfare of our community and the people of Manipur.”
Those who resigned include the party’s Phungyar mandal president, Yuva Morcha president , ST Morcha executive, Mahila Morcha president, and 53 booth presidents.
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The BJP chose to downplay the resignations, with its state vice-president Awung Shimray Hopingson calling them a “publicity stunt ahead of the PM’s visit”.
“The official BJP mandal and booth-level executives of Phungyar remain intact and fully committed (to the party). We continue to work tirelessly at the grassroots, strengthening the party’s presence in every village,” he said, adding that the team which had resigned had been involved in “anti-party” activities since the 2022 polls.
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