Lok Sabha Approves Imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur

During the debate, Amit Shah assured the House that the government has taken all necessary steps to bring back normalcy.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday adopted a statutory resolution confirming the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur. Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved the resolution for approval and defended the government’s actions to restore peace in the strife-torn state.

During the debate, Amit Shah assured the House that the government has taken all necessary steps to bring back normalcy. He stated that there has been no violence in Manipur for the past four months. “I will not say the situation in Manipur is satisfactory, but it is under control. Congress does not have enough MPs to move a no-confidence motion,” Amit Shah stated.

The Home Minister said that discussions had been held with both Meitei and Kuki communities to achieve a peaceful resolution. “By and large, the situation is peaceful. However, as long as people remain in relief camps, I would not call it satisfactory. The government is taking every possible step to restore peace in Manipur,” he assured.

Amit Shah also said that at least 260 people have lost their lives in ethnic clashes that have gripped Manipur for months. He attributed the beginning of the riots to an order passed by the state’s High Court. “The day the order came, we immediately deployed central forces by air. There was no delay on our part in taking action,” he said.

Referring to previous instances of violence in the state, Amit Shah said that ethnic riots had occurred under past governments as well. He pointed out that clashes between Naga and Kuki groups persisted for five years in the 1990s. “Sporadic violence continued for a decade, resulting in 750 deaths. The Kuki-Paite clashes in 1997-98 left 352 people dead, while the Meitei-Pangal clashes in the 1990s claimed over 100 lives. Neither the then Prime Minister nor the then Home Minister visited Manipur during those times,” he stated.

Following the resolution’s adoption, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed hope that peace and normalcy would return to Manipur. “The Manipur discussion was mainly to approve the proclamation of President’s Rule, and that happened peacefully without any major disagreement. Let us hope that peace and normalcy will be restored,” Tharoor stated.

Tharoor questioned why the government scheduled the discussion at 2 a.m. and stressed Manipur’s rich cultural heritage and natural resources. “The biggest crisis we face today is the erosion of public trust in the state. President’s Rule was proclaimed only because of a no-confidence motion prepared by the Manipur Congress,” he added.

Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla criticised the government for holding a lengthy discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill while delaying the Manipur issue. “The INDIA bloc parties wanted a discussion on Manipur in the morning, but the government avoided it and took up the issue late at night. As a result, all opposition parties walked out of the session,” he alleged.

DMK MP Kanimozhi strongly criticised the government for discussing such a crucial issue in the middle of the night. “The opposition has repeatedly requested a discussion on Manipur. Yet, today, you chose to address the matter after 2 a.m. This shows the government’s lack of regard for the suffering people of Manipur,” she stated.

Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh on February 9. Centre announced the imposition of President’s Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution. The violence in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities has been ongoing since May 3, 2023.

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