Amit Shah Pushes Manipur President’s Rule Resolution at 2 AM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved a resolution on President’s Rule in Manipur at 2 AM on Thursday after a 12-hour debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The Lok Sabha passed the resolution by voice vote after a 40-minute discussion. Eight opposition lawmakers spoke before Shah responded.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor supported President’s Rule but urged the government to use it for restoring peace. He blamed authorities for failing to act decisively over two years. Tharoor pointed out that armed groups had looted 60,000 weapons and over 600,000 rounds of ammunition, worsening the law-and-order situation. He also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Manipur.

Shah defended the government’s actions, stating no major violence occurred in the last four months. He urged all parties to support the resolution to bring stability. He denied any mishandling of the ethnic clashes and highlighted how security forces were airlifted immediately after the High Court’s order triggered tensions.

He refused to compare past violence under different governments but insisted that ethnic clashes, not terrorism or rioting, caused the crisis. Shah urged the opposition to stop politicizing the issue, emphasizing that earlier clashes had lasted for years. He noted that 80% of the 260 casualties occurred in the first month.

Listing government efforts, Shah said officials from the Home Ministry had engaged with both factions and civil society groups. He promised a joint meeting soon to further peace efforts. While the situation remained under control, Shah admitted it was not yet satisfactory, as internally displaced people were still in camps.

DMK MP Kanimozhi criticized the late-night discussion, questioning the government’s concern for Manipur’s suffering people. She raised concerns about weapons falling into the hands of extremists and fresh violence during attempts to restore movement between valley and hill districts. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule praised Shah’s role in Kashmir but demanded stronger intervention in Manipur to ensure peace and fair elections.

The Centre imposed President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13 under Article 356, four days after CM Biren Singh resigned. The assembly remains in suspended animation, allowing a possible future government formation. Reports suggested 10–12 BJP MLAs were ready to cross party lines before Singh stepped down. His resignation followed mounting pressure from opposition and 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs who had already cut ties with him. BJP leaders failed to secure enough support to form a government without Singh.

Under Article 356, Parliament must approve President’s Rule within two months. The government argues the move is necessary to stabilize Manipur, while opposition leaders remain skeptical about its effectiveness.