Imphal, 9 February 2025: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned on Sunday, submitting his resignation to Governor AK Bhalla in Imphal. His departure follows a series of meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, including one earlier in the week and another on Sunday.
Singh’s resignation had been a point of discussion within the BJP for months, as the party allowed him to remain in office despite allegations linking him to the ethnic violence that resulted in over 200 deaths.
The immediate trigger for his exit appears to be the Supreme Court’s recent directive to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) to verify leaked audio tapes in which Singh is allegedly heard claiming involvement in the Manipur violence. The court has sought the forensic report in a sealed cover due to the sensitivity of the case.
Before the CFSL report’s submission, Singh met the governor and formally stepped down. In his resignation letter, he expressed gratitude to the Centre while urging continued support for Manipur.
“I, Nongthombam Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur, am submitting my resignation herewith. It has been an honor to serve the people of Manipur thus far,” he wrote.
“I am extremely grateful to the Central government for timely actions, interventions, developmental work, and implementation of various projects for safeguarding the interest of every single Manipuri. My sincere request to the Central government through your good office is to continue with the same.”
Singh, a dominant Meitei leader, has been at the center of an ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities, with the latter demanding his removal. In his resignation letter, he also listed measures he had taken in the state’s interest.
