Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC) on Tuesday rejected the Committee on Tribal Unity’s (COTU) demand for the removal of Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, accusing Kuki armed groups of attacking a Naga village at Tazeikaphun and dismissing the Kuki Inpi Manipur’s account of the incident as “completely false and fabricated”.

In a statement, the UNC said it condemned all killings irrespective of community but sought to counter what it described as a campaign of lies and misinformation.

The council termed COTU’s demand for Dikho’s removal unfounded and politically motivated. It described him as a leader working for public welfare across communities and for the restoration of peace in Manipur.

The UNC said Dikho’s position can not be equated with that of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen. It identified her as the wife of KNF-P chief Semtinthang Kipgen, alias Thangboi, whom it held responsible for the Leilon Vaiphei massacre of six Naga men.

The council said Naga legislators, including Dikho, had rightly demanded that Nemcha Kipgen either resign or ask her husband’s organisation to stop fighting and killing Nagas. It said the demand had “all merits” and deserved the support of all right-thinking individuals and organisations.

The UNC further argued that it was constitutionally and morally untenable for a person whose immediate family heads an armed group accused of the Leilon Vaiphei massacre and several other killings to occupy the state’s second-highest executive post. It described the demand for Dikho’s removal as an attempt to divert attention from the alleged wrongdoing of the other side, calling it “a classic diversionary tactic”.

On the Tazeikaphun incident, the UNC alleged that Kuki militants launched an unprovoked attack on a Naga village for three consecutive days from October 29, 2026. It said three Kuki cadres were reportedly killed in an exchange of fire on October 31.

The council alleged that those responsible are now running a global propaganda campaign to portray themselves as victims by claiming that Nagas had attacked them. It rejected the allegations against the NSCN-IM and ZUF-K, maintaining that Nagas were victims of Kuki aggression at Tazeikaphun and other areas.

The UNC also raised questions over the recovery of two bodies in Senapati district, referring to the Naga People’s Organisation’s (NPO) demand for an impartial, transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

While condemning all forms of killing, the council said any manipulation of evidence or deliberate attempt to inflame communal tensions is equally unacceptable. It called for an investigation to establish the facts, fix accountability and prevent further tension.

Citing the NPO, the UNC questioned the impartiality of Senapati Additional Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Thangkhochon Haokip in handling sensitive communal matters. It said his handling of such cases in the past had raised serious concerns.

The council alleged that there had been an attempt to implicate Nagas in the deaths of two Kukis found in Senapati without proper investigation and amid procedural lapses. It termed the alleged conduct biased and condemnable, accusing the officer of manipulating facts, inflaming communal tensions and dereliction of duty.

The UNC also condemned the arson at T. Khullen in Maram village, alleging that an armed group of Kukis carrying firearms set fire to several residential houses around 3.30 pm on November 1, 2026, “right under the nose of the central security forces and Kangpokpi Police”.

Questioning the security forces’ inaction, the council demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and adequate compensation, relief and rehabilitation for the affected villagers.