Imphal: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Manipur unit has alleged that the imposition of President’s Rule in the state was not done in the interest of the people but to buy time for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to resolve its internal conflicts.
In a statement, CPI(M) Manipur state secretary Ksh Shanta claimed that former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, whom he called the “main culprit,” was forced to resign as his alleged partisan role was being examined in court. “The Chief Minister, who was backed all along by the BJP-RSS, had no choice but to quit after evidence of his sectarian role surfaced in court,” Shanta said.
Manipur was placed under President’s Rule on February 13, with the state assembly put under suspended animation, following Singh’s resignation, which led to political instability.
Criticizing the central leadership, CPI(M) accused the BJP government of failing to address the suffering of the people. “The Prime Minister’s refusal to visit the troubled state is a symbol of the Centre’s negligence in addressing Manipur’s crisis,” the statement read.
The party asserted that central rule was not a solution and called for immediate negotiations with representatives of different communities and political parties to restore normalcy. “The government must initiate measures to heal the deep divisions and ensure peace while protecting the democratic rights of the people, including holding elections within a fixed timeframe,” the statement added.
Shanta further demanded that President’s Rule be revoked immediately and fresh elections conducted as soon as possible. He blamed the state’s current political turmoil on what he described as legislators’ selfish power struggles.
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