MPCC President condemns demolition of historic Manipur Rajbari in Shillong, calls for accountability

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) today strongly condemned the demolition of the historic Manipur Rajbari at Redlands, Laitumkhrah, Shillong, calling it a blatant act of neglect that disrespects the state’s history and identity. The press briefing was addressed by K. Meghachandra Singh, MPCC President, at Congress Bhawan, Imphal.
The Rajbari, which once housed Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh during the signing of the Manipur Merger Agreement with the Dominion of India in September 1949, holds immense historical, political, and emotional significance for Manipuris worldwide. “The demolition of such a heritage site under the watch of the so-called ‘Double Engine Government’ at both the Centre and the State is unforgivable,” Meghachandra Singh said. He demanded immediate clarifications from the Government of India and the Meghalaya Government, urging urgent steps to restore and protect the site as a heritage monument.
The MPCC President also held the BJP and its allies, including the NPP, accountable for the destruction. “The NPP, as a ruling partner of the NDA, cannot evade responsibility. Their silence while a historic Manipuri monument was demolished in an NPP-ruled state is an insult to our people,” he asserted, criticizing the party for failing to safeguard the region’s cultural legacy.
Responding to remarks by NPP President and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Meghachandra Singh clarified that the Congress Party’s stance is guided not by political opportunism but by principles, accountability, and public interest. He blamed the BJP-led “Double Engine” Government for Manipur’s political crisis, social unrest, and governance breakdown, which the NPP has supported both at the Centre and in the State.