IMPHAL/UKHRUL, SEP 7: Nine Naga legislators of Manipur on Monday abstained from the final sitting of the 8th Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, rejecting the home minister’s clarification on the Leilon Vaiphei killing case and demanding the removal or suspension of deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen pending completion of the investigation.
In a collective protest cutting across party lines, the Naga legislators said they could not accept the home minister’s statement that certain persons were not involved in the incident while the investigation was still underway.
They also demanded that Kipgen be removed or suspended pending completion of the investigation into the killing of six Naga civilians following the abduction of 18 persons from Leilon Vaiphei on May 13, 2026.
The decision was announced at a press meet held at the official quarters of deputy chief minister Losii Dikho at Lamphel, attended by the Naga legislators.
NPF Manipur unit president Awangbou Newmai said the legislators had decided to abstain from the Assembly sitting in protest against what they described as the continued failure to deliver justice nearly four months after the incident.
Newmai said the Naga legislators could not accept the clarification made by the home minister in the House that the police and the Leilon Vaiphei village chief were not involved in the incident while the investigation was still underway.
“How can they be proved innocent when there are eyewitnesses among those who were abducted and later released?” Newmai questioned.
According to Newmai, 18 persons were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei on May 13, following which six Naga civilians were killed. He alleged that the bodies of the victims were mutilated.
He said those named in the FIR, including the Leilon Vaiphei village chief, had not been arrested even after nearly four months.
“The persons named in the FIR, including the Leilon Vaiphei village chief, have still not been arrested. Since justice has not been delivered even after four months, we have decided not to participate in the House session today,” he said.
Newmai said the decision to abstain from the Assembly was taken collectively by Naga legislators cutting across party lines, reflecting their shared concern over the delay in securing justice for the victims and their families.
He further said the legislators had decided not to participate in the Assembly sitting alongside deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen until the investigation was completed and appropriate action was taken.
Newmai demanded that Kipgen either be removed or suspended from office pending completion of the investigation, alleging that her husband was the prime accused in the killing case.
The Naga legislators, he said, had exercised patience for months but could no longer remain silent in the absence of what they considered meaningful progress in the case.
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Deputy chief minister Losii Dikho, expressing solidarity with the collective stand of the Naga legislators, said the protest was not against the government or its leadership but was driven by the demand for justice and the need to uphold democratic institutions.
“We are very pained and disheartened. We are not against the government and we are not against any leadership. We continue to support the government, but we cannot remain silent when justice has not been delivered for four months,” Dikho said.
He said the Naga people had exercised restraint and extended humanitarian assistance during the ongoing Manipur crisis. Dikho recalled that Naga volunteers had earlier released Kuki persons who were under their custody, an act which, he said, had been appreciated by the Union home minister.
However, Dikho said the continued delay in securing justice for the six victims had left the Naga legislators and the wider Naga community deeply hurt and disappointed.
“For four months, we have been waiting, but nothing is happening. We are running out of patience. We cannot remain silent when innocent people have been killed and justice has not been delivered,” he said.
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