Manipur BJP legislator Rajkumar Imo Singh urges Centre to outlaw Kuki group ITLF, Kuki groups confront Chief Minister audio tape controversy.

The MLA, Rajkumar Imo Singh, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, has appealed to the Home Ministry to ban the Kuki group, Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF). He alleged that the group has been taking financial aid to buy lethal drones, bombs, and ammunition.

In a post on social media, he uploaded photos of a person with an identity card under the name ‘Haopu Vaiphei’ and the words ‘ITLF Drone Squad’. He questioned the identity of this person and asked who is training them to attack innocent civilians.

Imo Singh also shared a purported ITLF-issued receipt claimed by the Bnei Menashe community, indicating financial assistance to the ITLF defense department. The Bnei Menashe refers to some Kuki and Mizo people who claim descent from one of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel.

On Monday, a drone dropped two bombs in Imphal West district’s Senjam Chirang, leaving three injured, according to the police. The bombs tore through the roof of a house, as shown in police visuals.

Imo Singh sought for the organisation ITLF to be banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, stating that the group’s actions constitute an act of terror and waging war against the state of Manipur. NDTV could not independently verify the visuals posted by Imo Singh, and the Kuki groups alleged that the incident was meant to divert attention from an audio tape leak controversy linked to the Chief Minister.

In the audio tapes, the Chief Minister allegedly admitted he started the Manipur ethnic conflict. The Biren Singh government has called the audio tapes “doctored”.

The ITLF denied the accusations, stating that drones are readily available in the market and can be obtained without involvement from outside the country. They also claimed that a Meitei climate activist publicly stated procuring drones with bomb-dropping capabilities from the US to bomb Kuki-Zo inhabited areas.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) have condemned the allegations made by the Biren Singh government and its police. The police have been conducting large-scale combing operations in response to the drone attacks.

The DGP mentioned that experts, including the National Security Guards (NSG), are being consulted to counter the drone threat. The conflict between the Kuki tribes and Meiteis began in May 2023 over issues such as land rights and political representation.

The Kuki tribes reside in the hills near the Meitei-dominated valley district of Imphal West.