Parliament Extends President's Rule in Manipur by Six Months
Parliament has approved a statutory resolution to extend President's Rule in Manipur for an additional six months beyond its August 13 deadline. The resolution was passed by the Rajya Sabha amid protests from Opposition parties over unrelated issues. President's Rule was first imposed in the state on February 13 following the resignation of the chief minister amid severe ethnic violence. The extension signifies continued instability in the state, transferring legislative and executive powers to the Union government to manage the security situation.
Unpacked:
President’s Rule was imposed after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned amid prolonged political instability and ethnic violence, which had escalated since May 2023 between tribal and non-tribal communities in Manipur.
Under President’s Rule, administrative and legislative powers are transferred from the elected state government to the Union government, which manages the state’s affairs directly until normalcy returns or fresh elections are held.
Opposition parties protested because they wanted a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, an unrelated issue, and expressed concerns about the repeated use of President’s Rule and the law and order situation in other states.
Opinions differ: some MPs argue that President’s Rule has not led to significant improvement in law and order, while the government attributes the violence to judicial decisions and maintains that steps are being taken to restore stability.