BJP in Manipur plans protests to demand CM's resignation

Imphal, April 21 (IANS) The BJP's Manipur unit plans to hold a series of protests from Monday to demand the resignations of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Congress state unit president T.N. Haokip over the alleged involvement of their kin in drug trafficking.   The Central Bureau of Investigation has already filed a charge sheet in an Imphal court in the 2013 case.   Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Khumukcham Joykishan said: "In 2013, the Special Investigation Unit of the Manipur Police seized drugs worth several crores at the Tulihal airport here. Since the CBI has named chief minister's nephew Okram Henry in the charge sheet, he should resign on moral grounds."   "Seikholet Haokip, son of Congress MLA and now party's state unit president T.N. Haokip, was one of the main accused in the seizure of drugs valued at over Rs.30 crore, which were being smuggled out by an army officer. It is shocking how Haokip was made the Congress state unit chief," the BJP leader added.  

Joykishan said that if the Congress legislators and ministers failed to demand the resignations of both Ibobi and Haokip, it will be assumed that they too support drug trafficking in the state.   On the other hand, Henry's supporters dubbed the whole thing a "political conspiracy".   "Framing of the charge sheet is not a court verdict. The charge has been made in view of the coming local body and assembly elections," one of Henry's supporters said.   Haokip, whose son was arrested along with the army officer and some others on drug trafficking charge in 2013, maintained that his son was staying separately and that law will take its own course.