Under attack, Biren Singh hits back at Mizoram CM

The Manipur government on Friday hit back at Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma for his sharp criticism of his counterpart N Biren Singh in an interview to Hindustan Times, issuing a strong statement to condemn what it called an attempt to stoke hatred and double standards.

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The unprecedented statement came a day after Lalduhoma said Singh was a liability for the state, its people and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and that even President's Rule was preferable compared to his administration because of its inability to control violence that has roiled Manipur for 18 months now.

"The Mizoram CM can display better statesmanship by being a good neighbour rather than stoke fire of hatred and division," the lengthy Manipur government statement said.

"The government of Manipur strongly disapproves of the comments of Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma on the internal matters of Manipur in an interview carried in the Hindustan Times."

The controversy came amid mounting pressure on Singh, whose government has been unable to quell rising violence in Manipur, especially after the encounter killing of 10 tribal people and the brutal murder of six Meitei people in recent weeks. Around 260 people have died in ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities but have since engulfed the entire state.

Mizoram is not only Manipur's neighbour, it is also home to a large number of Kuki-Zo people.