Imphal, April 15: Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, a former IPS officer, and advisor to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post citing a lack of responsibilities and consultation since his appointment.
A BJP MLA, Radheshyam joined the party in 2016 after retiring from service and was known for leading anti-militant operations and earning several commendations and awards for his police service.
In his first election in the 2017 state Assembly polls, Radheshyam contested from the Heirok constituency and defeated Congress heavyweight Moirangthem Okendro by a huge margin.
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He went on to become a minister in the N Biren Singh-led BJP government and was given the important portfolios of education, labour, and employment, which he held for three-and-a-half years.
During his stint as the Manipur education minister, he was credited with initiatives in the education sector such as “School Fagathansi (Let us improve schools)” and “No Bag Day” on Saturdays.
However, Radheshyam was dropped from his Cabinet post in a mid-term reshuffle in September 2020, in which six Cabinet Ministers, including three from the BJP, were replaced by five new faces.
The CM said the objective of the reshuffle was “progress”, and that the government would perform better. In the 2022 Assembly elections, Radheshyam was re-elected from Heirok but was not given a Cabinet berth.
Radheshyam has stated that he joined mainstream politics to work for the people and to be a part of policymaking and that he chose the BJP due to his association with its Manipur in-charge Madhu Lohar and his previous association with the Sangh Parivar.
State BJP vice-president Ch Chidananda Singh denied any knowledge of Radheshyam’s resignation and stated that he had not informed the party officially or approached any party leader about his grievances.
The resignation of a celebrated ex-cop and advisor to the Manipur CM could prove embarrassing for the BJP, with reports of discord between the party and its MLA surfacing. However, the BJP denies any knowledge of Radheshyam’s grievances and claims that everything is well within the party family. The CM is yet to comment on the development.
