'Present government is anti-Kuki': KPA chief Haokip on withdrawing support from Biren Singh govt

Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) president Tongmang Haokip on Monday said that they had to withdraw support from the Biren Singh government in Manipur as the present government had turned anti-Kuki.      

“The situation now has changed because the present government is anti-Kuki. Even the CM himself has openly denounced the Kukis as a terrorist group, narco-terrorists and outsider or foreigner and also poppy cultivators and drug smugglers and whatnot… In this situation, we have no way out other than withdrawing our support from the present government…,” said Haokip.

#WATCH | On Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) withdrawing support from the Manipur government, KPA president Tongmang Haokip says, "The situation now has changed because the present government is anti-Kuki people. Even the CM himself has openly denounced the Kukis as a terrorist… pic.twitter.com/Ug9jBGyJtC

— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2023

On Sunday, in a letter to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, the KPA president informed about the party’s decision to snap ties with the BJP-led government in Manipur, where ethnic rioting since the last three months has claimed more than 160 lives. The development, however, will have no impact on the stability of the government, as the BJP has 37 members in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. “After careful consideration of the current conflagration, the continued support for the incumbent government of Manipur led by Chief Minister N Biren SIngh is no longer fructuous. “Accordingly, the support of the KPA to the Government of Manipur is hereby withdrawn and can be considered null and void,” Haokip said in the letter. The KPA has two MLAs in the Assembly - Kimneo Haokip Hangshing from Saikul and Chinlunthang from Singhat. The NPP has seven MLAs and the NPF has five. The Congress, too, has five legislators. KPA general secretary W Lalam Hangshing said, “We have sent the letter to the Governor by e-mail. We have two MLAs, and had given outside support to the government. In view of the present situation, the association is infructuous.” With inputs from agencies