Delhi Meetei Coordination Committee demands Amit Shah’s resignation over Manipur crisis

The Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) has demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, holding him responsible for the worsening law and order situation in Manipur. 

The call for his resignation follows reports that Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh tendered his resignation after allegedly being directed to step down by Shah during a meeting in New Delhi.

In an emergency meeting convened on February 9, DMCC unanimously resolved that mere removal of the Chief Minister would not lead to peace in Manipur and that the Union Government must end its alleged appeasement of Kuki militants. 

The committee accused the Centre of using Kuki armed groups for geopolitical interests related to Burma and of failing to act against their repeated violations of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.

The DMCC claimed that Shah and the BJP leadership have taken over the administration of Manipur, rendering the state government powerless. The committee also criticized the failure of the Peace Committee announced by Amit Shah in June 2023, calling it a "defunct body" that has yielded no results.

The DMCC further alleged that despite promises of action, the Home Ministry has allowed Kuki militants to continue attacks on Meetei villages, police outposts, and government offices.

Citing multiple instances of inaction by the Home Ministry, including attacks on government offices in Churachandpur and Kanglatongbi, the DMCC condemned the BJP-led Centre for ignoring the Manipur government’s resolutions.

The Manipur Cabinet had decided to abrogate the SoO pact with the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) in March 2023, and the Manipur Assembly had unanimously resolved in February 2024 to urge the Centre to completely revoke the agreement with all Kuki-Zo militant groups. However, the Union Government allegedly disregarded these resolutions and instead engaged in secret negotiations with Kuki militants, enabling further unrest.

The DMCC also raised concerns over the removal of the former Governor of Manipur, who had been actively working to foster peace among communities, without any explanation from the Centre. The committee asserted that these actions cast doubt on the Centre’s commitment to restoring peace and ensuring security in the state.