New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday confirmed the imposition of President’s rule in Manipur while adopting a Statutory Resolution. Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that there has been no violence in Manipur for the past four months and the central government has made every possible step to bring the northeastern state back to normalcy.
Shah moved the statutory resolution over the President’s rule in the state on late Wednesday. The President’s rule was imposed in the conflict-ridden Manipur on February 13, 2025, close to two years after the state witnessed first events of violence. On February 9, CM N Biren Singh resigned from his post.
The President’s rule, according to Article 356 in Constitution of India, can be imposed in a state on the grounds of the failure of constitutional machinery. This can also be considered as the State Emergency or Constitutional Emergency. It is mandatory for the President’s rule to get the approval from the Parliament.
While mentioning that there hasn’t been violence in the state for last four months, Shah said that the government is in talks with both Meitei and Kuki communities for a resolution on the conflict.
“By and large the situation is peaceful. As long as people are in camps, I would not say the situation is satisfactory. The government is taking all possible steps to restore peace in Manipur,” Shah said.
The home minister said the ethnic violence in Manipur had started following an order of the state’s high court.
“The day the order came, we sent the central forces by air. There was no delay on our part (in taking action),” he said.
Amit Shah on death toll in Manipur clashes
Shah confirmed that the death toll in the violent clash, which started in May 2023, was 260. The Home Minister compared the current situation to the one in the 1990s period where clashes between Naga and Kuki tribes happened.
“Sporadic violence continued for a decade where 750 people lost their lives. There were Kuki-Paite clashes in 1997-98 when 352 people were killed. In the Meitei-Pangal clashes in the 1990s, over 100 people died. Neither the then prime minister nor the then home minister visited Manipur,” he said.
He stressed that there is a notion being created that violence only happened in Manipur during the rule of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
