Shillong, June 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma firmly refuted any connection to a Manipur-based Kuki militant organization, as ethnic clashes continue to create tensions in Manipur. He strongly criticized the Congress party, asserting that the allegations made against him are false.
Sarma’s response came after Mira Borthakur Goswami, the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president, claimed that a leader of a Kuki militant group had written to Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that the outfit had supported the BJP in the 2017 Manipur assembly polls.
In a statement, the chief minister stated, “Some baseless allegations have been leveled in recent social media posts regarding an understanding with some UG (underground) leaders of Manipur. It is reiterated that there is no engagement with any such elements.”
Mira Borthakur Goswami submitted a memorandum to the state director general of police, urging a thorough investigation into the allegations.
The United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) is one of the armed organizations operating under the Suspension of Operations agreement. Sarma criticized the Congress, highlighting that the agreement was signed in 2008 between the Kuki, Zomi, and Hmar communities when the Congress party was in power.
Himanta emphasized, “The appeal mentioned in the social media post is written by the self-styled chairman of one of these groups who was under investigation for his involvement in an arms pilferage case in 2018. The said appeal is a desperate attempt by an individual to save himself. Any insinuation of understanding with the said individual is baseless and devoid of merit.”