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THE SURPRISE resignation of Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, the advisor to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, on Thursday could prove embarrassing for the CM. A BJP MLA, Radheshyam has said that he was not left with any choice as he was not given any responsibilities, nor consulted on anything since his appointment.
A former IPS officer, Radheshyam formally joined the BJP in 2016 after taking voluntary retirement from service. It was a significant addition for the BJP as Radheshyam was a celebrated police officer, who had led anti-militant operations as in-charge of a special police commando force, served as SP of different districts of the state and as commandant, Manipur Rifles.
During the peak of the Manipuri insurgency in 1996, Radheshyam had survived an ambush after suffering seven bullet injuries, losing a colleague and six police personnel. His police service would see him earn many commendations and awards, including the President’s Police Medal for gallantry and meritorious services, besides commendations of the Chief of Army Staff and the DGP.
After resigning on Friday, Radheshyam said he had entered mainstream politics for three reasons. “The first is that the MLA of my constituency back then was not working in the interests of the people. Secondly, I wanted to be part of policymaking, as schemes or policies were not reaching the targeted people. Thirdly, my constituency was lagging behind in development.”
He said he had chosen the BJP as he had been a part of the ABVP in college and had worked with its Manipur in-charge Madhu Lohar, and that he had also been associated with the Sangh Parivar since 1988.
In his first election in the 2017 state Assembly polls, Radheshyam contested from Heirok constituency in Thoubal district and defeated Congress heavyweight Moirangthem Okendro by a huge margin. He went on to become a minister in the N Biren Singh-led BJP government, and was given the important portfolios of education, labour and employment, which he held for three-and-a-half years. During his stint as the Manipur education minister, he was credited with initiatives in the education sector such as “School Fagathansi (Let us improve schools)” and “No Bag Day” on Saturdays.
CM Biren Singh dropped Radheshyam from his Cabinet as part of a mid-term reshuffle in September 2020, in which six Cabinet Ministers, including three from the BJP, were replaced by five new faces. The CM said the objective of the reshuffle was “progress”, and that the government would perform better. But there were reports then that some of the MLAs were unhappy at being dropped.
In the 2022 Assembly elections that returned the BJP to power, Radheshyam was elected from Heirok again, but this time was not given a Cabinet berth.
The CM is yet to comment on the development.
State BJP vice-president Ch Chidananda Singh claimed the party is not aware of Radheshyam’s resignation, as he had not informed the party officially, nor approach any party leader about his grievances. “This may be his personal issue. Everything is well within the BJP family,” the senior BJP leader said.
