Six-Month President’s Rule Extension In Manipur Passed Amid Parliamentary Uproar

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a statutory resolution to extend President’s Rule in Manipur by another six months, effective from 13 August 2025.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced the resolution, which the House adopted through a voice vote despite persistent interruptions and protests from Opposition members demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Opposition MPs repeatedly disrupted proceedings with slogans like ‘SIR par charcha ho’ and ‘Vote ki chori nahi chalegi’ (No vote theft allowed), insisting on debating the SIR issue.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, who presided over the session, repeatedly called for order and urged members to take their seats and register dissent verbally rather than creating disruptions.

“Please go to your seat and say ‘no’,” he appealed to the Opposition members, reminding them that the resolution was a constitutional obligation under Article 356 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates timely consideration of President’s Rule extensions.

The Deputy Chairman lamented the lack of legislative business completed in the House due to the chaos, singling out Congress MP Jairam Ramesh during the disruptions.

Government’s Justification for Extension

Minister Nityanand Rai explained that the extension of President’s Rule was necessary due to an ongoing administrative vacuum in Manipur.

He emphasised that the violence prompting the imposition of President’s Rule was triggered by a High Court order on reservation and was not communal in nature.

Minister Nityanand Rai stated, “Those who say it is communal are incorrect,” adding that no deaths had occurred during the eight months of President’s Rule.

He further highlighted that the Ministry of Home Affairs had conducted consultations with security agencies and civil society groups and noted that peace had largely returned to the state.

Despite appeals from the Chair, Opposition members, including Shushmita Dev, Tiruchi Siva, and Ram Pratap Garhi, persisted with demands to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls under Rule 259, which requires the House to discuss matters of public importance.

The Opposition’s refusal to cooperate led to multiple interruptions and forced several interventions by the Deputy Chairman to restore order.

Only Subhash Chandra Bose Pilli of the YSR Congress Party managed to address the House, though his speech was largely inaudible amid the uproar.

When BJD MP Mujibullah Khan sought to speak on a separate issue concerning Odisha, the Chair reminded him to focus on the resolution at hand.

The Opposition refused to engage on the Manipur issue until officials addressed their electoral concerns, prompting the Deputy Chairman to direct members to register dissent from their seats.

He then declared the statutory resolution extending President’s Rule in Manipur adopted by voice vote.

The House subsequently adjourned until 6 August, leaving several important legislative matters pending amid a mounting procedural and political deadlock.

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