Biren Singh slams Congress for rejecting ILP in 2012, accuses party of betraying Manipur

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of rejecting Manipur’s demand for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and showing blatant disregard for the state's aspirations.

In a strongly worded statement, Singh highlighted that during a Parliament session on September 4, 2012, when Congress MP Dr. Thokchom Meinya raised the ILP issue, the then UPA government outrightly rejected it. 

Citing the response of the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mullappaly Ramachandran, he pointed out that the Congress-led government dismissed Manipur’s demand, stating that ILP regulations could not be extended beyond Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

Singh accused Congress of lacking empathy and failing to recognize Manipur’s unique history and identity. He questioned whether Congress leaders in the state ever informed the people about this rejection.

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"On one hand, Congress shamelessly denied Manipur’s legitimate demand for ILP. On the other hand, a young student, Sapam Robinhood, made the ultimate sacrifice for this cause. Did Congress even attempt to engage with the people? No. They remained silent, unmoved, and absent from the ground," he wrote.

The former CM further alleged that Congress had historically treated Manipuris as second-class citizens, recalling how the state was first reduced to a Union Territory after the 1949 Merger Agreement and only “grudgingly granted statehood” in 1972. He accused the party of deliberate neglect and appeasement of illegal immigrants, asserting that Congress never respected Manipur’s voice.

Singh contrasted Congress’ inaction with the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, crediting them for finally granting ILP to Manipur in 2019, fulfilling a decades-old demand.

His remarks reignite the debate over ILP, a long-contested issue in Manipur, and add to the ongoing political confrontation between BJP and Congress over the region’s governance.