Kolkata: Manipur's Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh was ‘hurt’ the way Covid-19 was handled in the state and said that ‘bad governance’ under the leadership of CM Biren Singh forced him to resign from Cabinet ministership of BJP-led coalition government of Manipur on Wednesday.
Speaking exclusively to News18 over phone, Joykumar said, “Do I still need to clarify that why I have resigned? I was hurt. What hurts me the most is the way Covid-19 has been handled in Manipur. What hurts me the most is the way governance has been handled in Manipur. It was bad governance.”
“There is nothing personal behind my resignation. I have taken the decision based on political developments happening in Manipur and I don’t think I have to repeat those developments again,” he further said.
Joykumar refused to comment when asked who is going to form the next government in Manipur.
Trouble started in Manipur politics on April 9, 2020, when the deputy CM of the National People’s Party (NPP) was stripped of all his portfolios by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Then a notification was issued by Manipur Chief Secretary Dr. J Suresh Babu, which reads, “In pursuance of Rule 6 (1) of the Rules of Business of the Government of Manipur, the Governor of Manipur, on the advice of Chief Minister, Manipur, is pleased to reallocate the portfolios of MAHUD, Forest, Environment & Climate Change, Science & Technology, Economics & Statistics earlier held by Shri Y. Joyokumar Singh, Deputy Chief Minister to Shri N. Biren Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur.”
For the last few weeks Joykumar was quite vocal against the present government over poor handling of distribution of rice for Covid-19-affected poor people in the state.
Situation turned bitter when BJP MLA S Rajen had recently made a statement that “if the NPP ministers (including Joykumar) are not happy with CM Singh’s leadership, then they are free to resign.”
In 2017 Manipur elections, the BJP had formed the government with the support of NPP, Naga People’s Front and others. On Wednesday, four NPP ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister, resigned from the BJP-led government in Manipur.
The other three who tendered their resignation letters are Tribal and Hills Area Development Minister N Kayishii, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Letpao Haokip and Health and Family Welfare Minister L Jayanta Kumar Singh.
In separate letters addressed to Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Joykumar, Haokip and Kayishii said, “I am to intimate that I tender my resignation from Cabinet ministership of the BJP-led coalition government of Manipur led by your good self.
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