Imphal, Nov 19: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the support for Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is significantly weaker than reported, claiming that only 24 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MLAs attended a recent meeting called by the CM, instead of the 26 initially stated. Ramesh further accused the BJP of forging the signatures of three MLAs to inflate attendance numbers.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ramesh said, “Now we gather that the signatures of three MLAs who were supposedly present have been forged. So the actual number of NDA MLAs present was just 24, including the CM.” The meeting, held in Imphal, was meant to rally support from NDA legislators, but the turnout was notably low. Manipur’s 60-member Assembly was only represented by a fraction of its members, and among those present, four were from the Naga People’s Front (NPP), a party that has already withdrawn its support for the CM.

Ramesh also criticized the central government’s handling of the ongoing crisis in the state, specifically questioning the role of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “The writing on the wall is clear. But is the grand sutradhar of Manipur, the Union Home Minister, reading it?” Ramesh posted, urging the government to take decisive action.

Amidst the political turmoil, Manipur’s MLAs recently passed a resolution calling for a review of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and demanding military action against Kuki militants, who are blamed for recent violent incidents, including the killing of six people in Jiribam.