PC made to withdraw statement on autonomy

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 19: Following strong objections from the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), former Union Home Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram has been made to withdraw his statement that granting different levels of genuine autonomy to Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga would bring peace and harmony in Manipur.
P Chidambaram wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that sending 5000 additional Central armed police personnel to Manipur is not a solution to the violent crisis, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren is the root cause of the violence and N Biren must be pulled down from the post of Chief Minister.
Chidambaram further wrote that there will be peace and harmony among Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga in Manipur when these communities are granted different levels of regional autonomy.
CLP leader O Ibobi, CLP deputy leader K Ranjit, CWC Member Gaikhangam, MLA Th Lokeshwar, MLA O Surjakumar, former MPCC presidents and key leaders of MPCC held an emergency meeting at the official residence of O Ibobi  today soon after they came across Chidambaram’s post.
After the meeting, the MPCC and the Congress MLAs sent a letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge expressing strong objection to P Chidambaram’s post.
Apart from informing Chidambaram about the MPCC’s strong objection, AICC made the Congress leader withdraw his statement.
Later speaking to media persons, O Ibobi said that P Chidambaram’s statement that granting regional autonomy to Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga can establish peace and communal harmony was his personal opinion.
Taking serious note of the fact that Chidambaram’s statement would inflame the people of Manipur even though it was his personal opinion, Congress leaders of Manipur immediately informed the matter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.
MPCC and Congress MLAs of Manipur asked both Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to persuade P Chidambaram to delete the particular post.
P Chidambaram’s statement shared on X and now deleted was his personal opinion and it had nothing to do with Congress party, Ibobi said.      
He asserted that safeguarding the integrity of Manipur and its territorial boundary is a long standing commitment of the Congress party.
Ibobi said that P Chidambaram’s particular statement shared on X at around 8 am was deleted a little past 9 am.
Ibobi who served as the Chief Minister of Manipur for three consecutive terms asserted that creation of any separate State out of Manipur or granting regional autonomy within the State is unacceptable.
If regional autonomy must be granted, the issue must be first consulted with the people, he said.
Congress party will never agree to granting regional autonomy to Naga, Meitei and Kuki-Zo without first consulting with the people, Ibobi added.