Manipur Congress slams Centre over move to extend President’s Rule in state

The Congress on Friday voiced strong opposition to the Centre’s move to extend President’s Rule in Manipur, asserting that such a step undermines democratic values and is not reflective of the people's will. 

The party held the BJP-led "double-engine" government responsible for the ongoing constitutional vacuum in the conflict-hit state.

The Centre is preparing to extend President’s Rule in Manipur for another six months starting August 13. A statutory resolution for the extension, moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has already been admitted by the Rajya Sabha chair and is likely to be taken up for discussion next week.

Addressing reporters, Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra criticised the BJP’s handling of the crisis. “It is not the people's wish that the President's Rule be extended for another six months. Extension of the President's Rule will undermine the values of democracy and the spirit of federalism,” he said.

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He described the situation as a direct consequence of the BJP’s failure to restore a functional government in the state. “The extension will happen because there is no strong BJP leader in the state. It is the failure of the double-engine government,” he said. “President’s Rule is supposed to be temporary. Its continued extension due to internal law and order issues is unprecedented.”

President’s Rule was first imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Since then, efforts by the BJP to install a new government have remained unsuccessful.

More than 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced in Manipur since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted in May 2023. The Congress maintains that a permanent solution lies in restoring democratic governance, not prolonged central rule.