'Public Pressure, SC Probe...': As Manipur CM Biren Singh Steps Down, Rahul Gandhi Lists Reasons Behind His Resignation

Hours after Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh tendered his resignation, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that he stepped down from the top post amid mounting pressure from the public, the Supreme Court, and the Congress. Gandhi also accused Biren Singh of "instigating" division in Manipur and blamed PM Narendra Modi for "allowing him to continue."

"For nearly two years, BJP's CM Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of the idea of India in Manipur," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. "The resignation of CM Biren Singh shows that mounting public pressure, the SC investigation, and the no-confidence motion by the Congress have forced a reckoning," the former Congress chief further stated. He further targeted PM Modi and asked him to visit the northeastern state.

"But the most urgent priority is to restore peace in the state and work to heal the wounds of the people of Manipur. PM Modi must visit Manipur at once, listen to the people, and finally explain his plan to bring back normalcy," Gandhi said.

Manipur CM N Biren Singh tendered his resignation from the post of Chief Minister on Sunday. He handed over the letter of resignation from the post of Chief Minister to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. Singh was accompanied by 14 MLAs belonging to the BJP and NPF. State BJP president A. Sharda and senior saffron party leader Sambit Patra were also part of the delegation.

The violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities in Manipur erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023, following the Manipur High Court order directing the state to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.