Imphal, Jan. 30: The office of the Manipur unit of the BJP was closed down today following a threat issued by an underground outfit to protest MP Chaoba Singh?s joining the party. The banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) asked the BJP to close down all party offices and stop party-related activities with immediate effect.
Several years ago, the outfit had announced death sentence for Chaoba Singh, charging him with involvement in drug trafficking, sucking blood of the people of Manipur during his more than 25 years of political career and indulging in activities that went against the interest of the KYKL.
The KYKL set February 15 as the deadline for the Manipur BJP to expel Chaoba Singh from the party. Chaoba Singh, who was elected on a Manipur State Congress Party ticket, joined the BJP in November. He was unanimously elected president of the BJP state unit on January 6.
The outfit warned that it would target the BJP leaders if the MP was not expelled from the party before the deadline. ?Chaoba Singh is an agent of the Indian government, who is out to destroy the fabric of Manipuri society,? it said, adding that a special operation team was formed to mete out ?capital punishment? to Chaoba Singh.
The KYKL threat comes at a time when Chaoba Singh is projecting himself as the BJP candidate for the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency. The threat delivers a heavy blow to the party, which is gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections.
Chaoba Singh is currently in New Delhi along with BJP legislature wing leader and former chief minister, R.K. Dorendro Singh. Though several leaders were ?very upset? with the threat, they refused to comment.
However, former state president and BJP national secretary Meinam Bhorot Singh said the national leaders, including deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, had been informed about the development.