Manipur: Congress, Meitei Group Blame BJP for President’s Rule

Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra targeted the BJP for the crisis of Manipur and the imposition of the President’s rule in the state. Meghachandra said that the leadership crisis within the BJP and its failure to reach a consensus on a chief ministerial candidate led to the imposition of the President’s rule in the state.

He also said that the central BJP leaders may have begun to understand the ground situation in the strife-torn state.

“The leadership crisis that prevailed after the resignation of the chief minister, and a divided house within the BJP (on selecting a new CM) led to the imposition of President’s rule,” he told media.

President's rule was imposed in Manipur and the assembly was put under suspended animation days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post which led to political uncertainty in the state.

"Now, the prime minister has the whole responsibility... Now, (PM) Modi will hopefully look into the government's inability to function and start addressing the crisis in the state," Meghachandra commented in his statement to the media adding that the onus for protecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Manipur is on the Union government.

Singh, who was heading the BJP government in Manipur, resigned as chief minister after nearly two years of ethnic violence that has claimed over 250 lives so far.

The tenure of the Manipur assembly extends till 2027. Manipur BJP president A Sharda had said on Thursday that the assembly has been put under suspended animation by the constitutional process and asserted that the House had not been dissolved yet. 

COCOMI Targets BJP:

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of several Imphal-based civil society organisations, said that the President's rule in the state is undemocratic and most unfortunate.

"The sudden and unreasonable imposition of the President's rule in Manipur by the Government of India, despite the BJP having an absolute majority in the state, is seen as a deliberate ploy to push Manipur further into turmoil," the COCOMI said in a statement.

The Meitei body further said--"This move raises serious questions about the central government's true intentions, as it shifts the blame onto the alleged incompetency of its own BJP MLAs rather than addressing the real issues at hand."

It further alleges that the President’s rule will put the Meitei community under military control.