Rajya Sabha backs President’s Rule in Manipur after heated debate
Rajya Sabha approved the statutory resolution confirming President’s Rule in Manipur early Friday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved the resolution at 2:36 AM after a 12-hour debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The House passed it by 3:58 AM. Lok Sabha had already cleared it a day earlier.
Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Chair to delay the discussion, citing the ongoing Waqf Bill debate. However, the Chair refused, stating it was on the agenda. Shah dismissed further requests, saying, “Manipur is important. Work late for once.”
Kharge criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur in two years. He demanded a white paper on the ethnic clashes and accused the BJP of failing to restore peace. He argued that President’s Rule aimed to protect BJP’s political interests, not Manipur.
Shah defended the decision, saying the government had been negotiating with warring factions. He denied opposition claims that law and order had collapsed, stating, “No violence occurred in November, December, or now.” He clarified that the Chief Minister resigned voluntarily, leading to President’s Rule. He also dismissed reports that Congress planned a no-confidence motion, claiming they lacked numbers.
Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien criticized the government for discussing Manipur at 3 AM, away from prime-time media coverage. He urged Modi to visit the state. Shah countered by pointing to crimes in West Bengal, accusing Trinamool of ignoring women’s safety.
Shah blamed the crisis on a High Court order, later overturned by the Supreme Court, that triggered tribal unrest. He highlighted that past ethnic conflicts in Manipur lasted from seven months to a decade. He noted that previous INDIA alliance Prime Ministers never visited the state during such crises.
President’s Rule took effect on February 13, days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned following nearly two years of ethnic violence. The unrest left 260 dead and 50,000 displaced. The Manipur Assembly remains in suspended animation, allowing a future government formation.
