Sun Nov 17 16:37:06 UTC 2024: ## National People’s Party Withdraws Support from Manipur BJP Government Amidst Violent Unrest
**Imphal/Shillong, [Date]:** The National People’s Party (NPP) has withdrawn its support from the BJP-led coalition government in Manipur, citing the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s failure to control the escalating violence and restore normalcy in the state. The decision, announced on Sunday, comes amidst a surge in violence and protests following the killing of six civilians, including three women and three children, in the Jiribam district.
The NPP, which holds seven seats in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, stated that the ongoing violence, fueled by a protracted ethnic conflict, demonstrates the government’s inability to maintain law and order. While the BJP retains a comfortable majority with 32 seats, and further support from the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and JD(U), the NPP’s withdrawal underscores the growing unease over the handling of the crisis.
Recent events have seen a drastic escalation in violence, including attacks on the homes of three BJP MLAs, one of whom is a senior minister, and an attempted breach of Chief Minister Biren Singh’s ancestral home. Despite an indefinite curfew imposed following earlier attacks on ministers’ and MLAs’ residences in November, fresh outbreaks of violence continued on Saturday night.
NPP National President and former Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, in a letter to BJP President J.P. Nadda, expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation and the suffering of the people. The violence, primarily between two communities, has raged for 17 months, despite previous interventions by the central government. The NPP’s decision highlights the deepening political crisis in Manipur, and the growing pressure on the BJP to effectively address the prolonged unrest.
First Piper 