Sat Nov 22 05:53:02 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:

Summary:

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh alleges that powerful groups are intentionally diverting attention from the issue of illegal immigration in Manipur, using ethnic violence as a distraction. He criticizes the state’s slow progress in biometric verification compared to Mizoram and urges the government to continue detecting and deporting illegal immigrants, emphasizing that the state’s safety and stability depend on addressing this core problem. He suggests neighboring states are doing better at identifying and controlling immigration.

News Article:

Manipur’s Former CM Accuses “Powerful Groups” of Obscuring Illegal Immigration Issue

Imphal, November 22, 2025 – Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has accused unnamed “powerful groups” of deliberately attempting to shift focus away from the “core problem” of illegal immigration in the state. In a statement released Friday evening, Singh argued that these groups are exploiting ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups to distract state and central authorities, causing them to lose sight of the primary threat from infiltrators.

Singh pointed to Mizoram’s progress in biometric enrollment of Myanmar refugees as an example, lamenting that Manipur, which initially took responsibility for identifying illegal immigrants, has fallen behind. He claims that criticism from nearby states hindered these efforts in the beginning.

“Certain powerful groups are deliberately trying to divert attention away from the core problem of illegal immigrants so that State and Central authorities get trapped in secondary issues and forget the primary threat facing Manipur,” Singh said, calling for the government to remain steadfast in detecting and deporting illegal immigrants. He also demanded transparency regarding the extent of biometric verification completed in the state.

The former CM emphasized that the safety, stability, and future of Manipur hinge on addressing the issue of illegal immigration. His comments come amid ongoing instability in Manipur, which has been under President’s rule since February. More than 260 people have died and thousands displaced because of ethnic violence since May 2023.

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