Biren bares fangs against PC, Cong

Imp/N Delhi, Nov 19
 Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today blamed "some vested interests" for reigniting a new cycle of violence in the State, after having been relatively peaceful for three-four months, and criticised Congress leader P Chidambaram as someone who "created the present crisis".
Mr Singh's frontal attack came hours after Mr Chidambaram in a post on X suggested "the Meitei, the Kuki-Zo and the Naga can live together in one State only if they have genuine regional autonomy", and blamed the Chief Minister for causing the crisis.
The Chief Minister, who has been battling ethnic fires in a fresh cycle of violence that broke out in the state's Jiribam district that has so claimed over 19 lives including women and children, took strong exception to Mr Chidambaram's swipe.
Mr Chidambaram was the Union Home Minister under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in 2008 when he steered the highly controversial tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between over a dozen Kuki-Zo militant groups on one side and the Centre and the State Government on the other, the Chief Minister told news agency ANI in the State capital Imphal on Tuesday.
The Congress was also in power in Manipur at that time.
"I will say it openly. When he (Mr Chidambaram) was the (Union) Home Minister in the then Congress Government, here in Manipur (Congress's) O Ibobi was the Chief Minister. During their time, they brought a Myanmarese foreigner, Mr Thanglianpau Guite, a Myanmar-born who himself admitted in an interview that he contested an election for MP in Myanmar. That person is the chairman of the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) based in Myanmar," Mr Singh said.
"I am surprised how Mr Chidambaram - there is a photograph, there is Chidambaram, then Union Home Minister, and here is Thanglianpau Guite, the chairman of the Zomi Revolutionary Army, who is from Myanmar - they never cared about people from the North East, about indigenous people," Mr Singh said, holding up an enlarged photo with a red circle on who Mr Singh said was Thanglianpau Guite seen shaking hands with Mr Chidambaram in a black suit.
"The present crisis is not an ethnic conflict. It is a problem of illegal immigration from Myanmar with drugs and them trying to control the indigenous people of Manipur, and in the entire North East. I find it funny to see his (Mr Chidambaram's) comment. I want to remind him, with these photographs, why he allowed these foreigners to enter India, to enter Manipur and even sign Suspension of Operations agreement with underground groups of illegal immigrants," the Chief Minister said.
"He (Mr Chidambaram) and the Congress created the crisis. What we are facing today in Manipur is their creation. They cannot wash off their hands easily. People do understand, whatever is happening in Manipur is a chronic problem created by Congress and Chidambaram himself. Here are the photographs," Mr Singh said, adding allegations and propaganda by National leaders should stop.
"I want to appeal to him, do not play more destructive games to destabilise Manipur and the entire North East. Congress leaders should look at themselves that happened in Manipur during their time. How many were killed in fake encounters ? There are 1,500 cases of Manipur fake encounter cases in the Supreme Court... Chidambaram himself came, gave recognition to a foreigner and signed the SoO agreement. You started the work of bringing illegal immigrants from Myanmar. You cannot escape," Mr Singh said. NDTV