Don’t blame Centre for Manipur midnight debate: Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday clarified that the discussion on President’s Rule in Manipur taking place late at night in Parliament was not the government's fault, but the result of the Opposition's insistence on extending the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill.

In an interview with ANI, Rijiju emphasized that the central government cannot be blamed for the Manipur unrest or for the timing of the debate. “It is a constitutional obligation to ratify President’s Rule within two months. After six months, an extension requires Parliament’s approval. So, we had to take it up immediately,” he said.

Responding to criticism, Rijiju said, “We initially agreed to six hours for the Waqf Bill, later extended to eight, but the Opposition pushed for 12. So, naturally, the Manipur issue was taken up at midnight.”

Dismissing the notion that Manipur’s situation reflects central failure, he asserted, “The Manipur issue is not a case where the government can be put to the test. We are not at fault. Before 2014, Manipur saw years of ethnic violence and blockades, where thousands lost their lives. That was not under our watch.”

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The Union Minister also addressed Opposition demands for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state. “When previous governments ignored the state during five-month-long blockades, no one raised a voice. Today, the blame game doesn’t help,” he said.

Rijiju attributed the recent ethnic clashes in Manipur to a judicial pronouncement. “The High Court’s decision to grant ST status to a particular community was beyond judicial scope. That became the unfortunate trigger,” he stated.

Highlighting the broader picture, the Arunachal West MP added, “Since 2014, the Northeast has seen unprecedented peace, development, and integration—except for this isolated incident in Manipur. And this is not a fight against the state or the Centre. It’s a conflict between two communities.”

Concluding on a note of unity, Rijiju stressed, “We all live in the same region. We must coexist. There’s no alternative.”