New Delhi: Almost six months after President’s Rule was first imposed and over two years after ethnic violence broke out in Manipur, minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (July 30) that there are no law and order issues in the northeastern state.

Rai said that there has been only one fatality since President’s Rule was imposed. His statement came as he moved a statutory resolution for the extension of President’s Rule in Manipur for another six months.

He also said that there was a need to extend President’s Rule since there has been peace.

“They [the opposition] have said that despite President's Rule, violence has continued. It's nothing like that. Since President's Rule was imposed there has been only one incident of violence, in which there has been only one fatality,” said Rai in his reply to the discussion.

He added: “And since then, there have been no incidents of violence. Someone said there is no law and order problem in Manipur. What can be bigger proof of law and order being under control?”

The resolution, which has been passed in the Lok Sabha, will now be taken up in the Rajya Sabha.

While Rai said that President's Rule has brought peace to the conflict-torn state, violence and curfews have continued.

The state continues to be divided by ‘buffer zones’ patrolled by security forces, with the two communities – the Kukis and the Meiteis – not being able to visit the Imphal valley and the surrounding hill areas respectively.

Rai did not make any mention of when elections will be conducted and instead said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the northeast had seen “all-round development”, including improving connectivity, the welfare and empowerment of youth and women, and peace.

While he also said that Modi visited the northeast over 78 times, he did not say why the prime minister has not visited strife-torn Manipur even over two years after the violence first broke out in May 2023.

The discussion saw six members speaking, including five from the opposition. Opposition members raised questions about the continuation of violence and demanded to know when elections will be held.

“The imposition of President's Rule is not because of law and order, it is to save embarrassment for the ruling party,” said A. Bimol Akoijam, MP for Inner Manipur.

Akoijam said that the state government had been working hand in glove with the Union government when N. Biren Singh was chief minister and now under governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

“Instead of extending this almost illegitimate President's Rule in Manipur, we should have a fresh mandate. Despite a brutal majority, you are not being able to form the government. In collusion with the state government and Union government, you have created the tragedy of Manipur for the last two years,” he said.

Akoijam said that a joint parliamentary committee must be formed to take stock of what has happened and fix accountability.

While President's Rule was imposed in February after then-chief minister Biren Singh resigned, it was only in April when after two back-to-back midnight sessions parliament passed the statutory resolution on the proclamation of Union government rule in Manipur.

This midnight passage in parliament had come as according to Article 356, President’s Rule needs to be approved by both houses of parliament within two months of its imposition.

“The kind of language and arrogance we see in the speeches of the government is the same reason why we are not being able to hold polls in Manipur,” said Lalji Verma, Samajwadi Party MP.

“Despite longstanding demands, President's Rule was not imposed, and when it was imposed, even after six months [later] peace has not come to the state. This government is only interested in securing its vote bank, irrespective of whether this country exists or not.”

The house was adjourned for 30 minutes during the debate when the treasury benches including BJP MP Sukanta Bhattacharya disrupted Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s speech.

Dastidar in her speech raised concerns about the ongoing violence, illegal poppy cultivation and ‘infiltration’ from neighbouring Myanmar.

“President's Rule is not a permanent feature in the constitution,” she said.

“The unrest that has been going on for so many years should have seen the prime minister visit the state. Instead of extending President's Rule, elections should be held in the state within three months,” she said, adding that there must be efforts to enable the two communities to live together again.

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