Amid the ongoing political controversy that arose after former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh criticised a statement made years ago by the late Purno A Sangma, former CM of Meghalaya and Lok Sabha Speaker, the National People’s Party (NPP), which Purno founded, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Biren today.
NPP working president and Meghalaya cabinet minister Marcuise Marak condemned Biren’s remarks and demanded an apology.
The dispute arose after Conrad K Sangma, Purno’s son and current Meghalaya CM, strongly objected to Biren’s post wherein the latter claimed that Purno’s calls for smaller states in the North East was a dangerous idea that threatened India’s unity.
Marak criticised Biren, stating that the former Manipur CM was responsible for the crisis in his state and was now attempting to shift the blame onto others. “This is unacceptable. We condemn his remarks and I demand an apology from him,” Marak said.
Defending Purno’s legacy, Marak described him as a national leader who worked in the best interests of the people. “His vision was to unite, not divide,” he asserted, suggesting that Singh’s comments may have been triggered by the NPP’s decision to withdraw support from his government in Manipur.
The NPP withdrew its support to the Biren-led BJP government in Manipur in November 2024. President’s Rule was then proclaimed in February of this year.
