On Tuesday, August 7, the Manipur Government alerted the public regarding an audio recording circulating on social media falsely claiming to be that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The state government said in a statement that the doctored audio clip is a malicious attempt by certain sections of people to incite communal violence to derail the peace process that has been initiated at multiple levels.
Notably, in the doctored audio clip that emerged, a voice claiming to be that of Manipur CM Biren Singh is heard saying that he has initiated the ethnic cleansing against the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur. After the audio clip went viral, the Manipur Govt initiated a probe and warned legal action against all individuals/organisations involved in this conspiracy.
“Our social media analysis indicates that a coordinated and targeted campaign is underway with numerous X (formerly Twitter) accounts sharing the audio clip with similar caption,” the statement said.
The Manipur Police are investigating the matter to trace the origins of this defamatory campaign. Legal action will be taken against all individuals and organizations involved in this conspiracy, the statement read.
The government urged the public to exercise caution and refrain from sharing unverified information.
“The restoration of peace and harmony among our communities is of utmost importance at this juncture more than ever. The state government would not tolerate any action that threatens to disrupt the peace process,” the statement said.
