Rajya Sabha MP and titular king of Manipur Sanajaoba Leishemba has strongly criticised the recently released Independent People’s Tribunal report on the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, calling it “one-sided, biased and ungrounded.”

Speaking to reporters in Imphal, he alleged that the report by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) could mislead the Meitei community and demanded a legal probe.

The 694-page report, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, concluded that the May 3, 2023 violence was “not spontaneous but planned, ethnically targeted, and facilitated by state failures.” It also recommended prosecution of hate propaganda and action against negligent authorities.

Countering the report’s reference to Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun as militant groups, Leishemba said they were socio-cultural organisations that took up arms only in self-defence when security forces failed to act in time.

The MP insisted that any genuine tribunal must provide a balanced and comprehensive account of the crisis, warning that selective narratives would only fuel further distrust.