New Delhi:The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the statutory resolution to extend President’s Rule in Manipur for a further six months. The resolution, however, faced resistance from the Congress and Trinamul Congress, which demanded fresh elections in the state. However, minister of state for home Nityanand Rai said the state was slowly limping back to normalcy and there had been a reduction in violence in Manipur. He quickly added that while violence had decreased, the situation still remains fragile.
“There have been no deaths in four months and to have long-lasting peace, President’s Rule is needed. We have already started improving infrastructure and other development work in the state,” said the minister. Mr Rai added the government was doing fencing on the international border with Myanmar to check the drug menace and insurgency.
Earlier, speaking during the discussion, Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, Congress MP from Inner Manipur, objected to the extension of President’s Rule, saying instead the Centre should take steps to hold fresh elections in the state.
“Manipur is a mini-paradise just like Kashmir, only that it doesn’t get as much attention as Kashmir… President’s Rule in the state is an embarrassment for the ruling party as there is an absolute failure of law and order there. The Union government is hand in glove with the state government in creating havoc in the state… The chief minister of Manipur made tall promises and even said the Valley will be under him and the Centre will take care of Hills, but that did not happen. The Centre was dictating its terms in the state and was even changing officers so much so that the officials refused to take orders from state agencies,” Mr Akoijam said, while accusing Centre of creating lawlessness in Manipur for two years.
While objecting to President’s Rule, Mr Akoijam said Article 356 is meant to be used in the rarest of the rarest situations and is to be used judiciously. “The mandate of the people should be the prime, rather than Governor’s Rule, which is illegitimate morally. Despite having a brute majority, you are not able to form a government in the state. Please do not extend the President’s Rule, instead constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee and fix accountability… The crisis in Manipur is unprecedented. Do our lives not matter? The Partition of 1947 is a living example in Manipur today, where Meiteis and Kukis cannot move freely,” he said.
The MP further stressed that he expects a long discussion in the Lok Sabha on the issue of Manipur, just like Operation Sindoor and other issues, for the healing process of the people in the state. “The House should be more serious than reducing the discussion as a mere ritual. Please dissolve the Assembly in the state and have fresh elections,” Mr Akoijam said.
