New Delhi
Nearly two years since ethnic clashes first started in Manipur, President’s Rule was imposed in the northeastern State on Thursday.
A communique from the office of President Droupadi Murmu said after receiving a report from Governor Ajay Bhalla and after considering the report and other information received by me, I am satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the Government of that State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India”.
“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 356 of the Constitution, and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby proclaim that I – assume to myself as President of India all functions of the Government of the State of Manipur and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of that State,” the notification said.
The imposition of President’s Rule comes after the BJP failed to find N. Biren Singh’s successor following his resignation on February 9. BJP’s northeast incharge Sambit Patra had been holding a series of meetings with certain BJP factions and leaders in a bid to find a consensus replacement for Biren Singh. But it yielded no result leading to the imposition. Meanwhile, Patra has been accorded a Z plus security cover after a threat assessment.
As per norms, the Manipur Assembly has also been put under suspended animation. The failure of finding Biren’s successor meant the Assembly too could not be convened. Biren Singh had resigned just a day before the Assembly session was to start i.e February 10. Then again as per Article 174 (1) of the Constitution, the Assembly, which was last adjourned on August 12, 2024, had to be mandatorily convened again within six months. This meant, Assembly had to be convened by February 12, 2025.
Manipur has been witnessing unabated ethnic clashes between the Meitei and the Kuki communities since May 3, 2023. Around 250 people have died and thousands have been displaced.
The Congress claimed Biren Singh resigned as it was to move a no-confidence motion against him on day one of the Assembly session that was to start from February 10. But then, he resigned also because his support had dwindled majorly with many from within BJP going against him besides those from the BJP’s NDA allies like the NPP.
Biren’s resignation is said to have also come against the backdrop of the Supreme Court directing a central forensics lab for a report on leaked audio tapes on ethnic clashes that allegedly feature Singh.
“Finally what the Indian National Congress has been demanding for almost 20 months has happened. President’s Rule has been imposed in Manipur. This has come after the BJP and its allies got a huge majority in Feb 2022, but whose politics led to the colossal tragedy just fifteen months later.,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
“This has come after the Union Home Minister has clearly failed to manage Manipur, which had been entrusted to him by the PM. This has come even as the globe-trotting PM steadfastly refuses to visit Manipur and begin the process of reconciliation,” he said.
This is the 11th time Article 356 of the Indian Constitution has been imposed in Manipur, which now stands behind only Jammu and Kashmir which has seen 13 spells of President Rule.
