Biren Singh, the chief executive of Manipur, has said he would not leave his position

Biren N. Singh, the chief minister of Manipur, stated on Friday that he was not leaving his position, putting a stop to a daylong rumours on the subject.

Thousands of protesters stopped the Manipur Chief Minister’s motorcade from travelling to Raj Bhavan prior to his explanation.

Eventually, the chief minister said the female protesters that he would not step down from his position.

In a subsequent tweet, Biren Singh said, “At this crucial juncture I would like to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of chief minister.”

When women leaders who met him emerged from the chief minister’s mansion and assured the throng that Singh was not quitting, the situation was diffused. This comment caused the crowd to gradually leave his home.

Unverified rumours claimed that the CM had drawn out a resignation letter but was convinced to destroy it by his supporters. Some of the female protestors claimed to have seen the ripped letter, and copies of it had also been shared on social media.

Inquiries about the matter were not answered by the chief minister’s office.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of women and young people wearing black shirts sat down in front of the chief minister’s house and demanded that Biren Singh not step down.

Women’s rights activist Kshetrimayum Shanti said, “The Biren Singh government should stand firm and crack down on troublemakers at this crucial juncture.”

According to sources, there have been persistent whispers in Imphal since the morning that the state’s chief minister is considering abandoning his position after further violence in the state on Thursday claimed three more lives and left five more wounded.

One additional person died from injuries received at a hospital on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities from the gunfire exchange between security personnel and suspected rioters in Kangpokpi area to three, according to authorities.

On Thursday, armed rioters fired shots into Haraothel village without provocation. The Army said that members of the security forces “responded in a calibrated manner” to deal with the situation.

Two of the rioters’ community members gathered their remains on Thursday and carried them in a procession to the CM’s mansion nearby, they said.

According to the authorities, the protestors, who were mostly women, even challenged the police to arrest them. They were also spotted burning tyres in the middle of the road to obstruct police movement.

The procession got violent when security officers prevented them from proceeding to Singh’s home, forcing police to deploy lathi-charges and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki groups in the northeastern state has already claimed more than 100 lives.

The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of Manipur’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. Another 40% of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who live in the hill areas.