Parliament passes Manipur budget amid opposition uproar over Bihar SIR

Parliament on Monday passed the Manipur budget for 2025–26 and returned the relevant appropriation bill to the Lok Sabha, even as opposition parties continued protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. 

The Rajya Sabha also cleared the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which had been approved by the Lower House on August 8.

The proceedings were marked by loud disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, with the opposition demanding a detailed discussion on the Bihar SIR issue. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the opposition for creating a ruckus during deliberations on Manipur’s budget, pointing out that those who had earlier voiced concerns over the state’s situation were now resorting to slogans instead of engaging in debate. Leader of the House JP Nadda also accused opposition MPs of “obstructionism” and reiterated the government’s readiness to discuss all issues.

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The appropriation bill authorises withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund of the State of Manipur for the ongoing financial year. The passage of the budget comes as Manipur remains under President’s Rule, with Parliament also adopting a statutory resolution to extend central rule in the state for another six months beyond August 13.

President’s Rule was first imposed on February 13, 2025, shortly after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. It can continue for up to six months at a time, subject to parliamentary approval, during which governance is administered directly by the Centre.

Manipur has been under political and security turmoil since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023 between tribal and non-tribal communities, a conflict Home Minister Amit Shah has attributed to tensions stemming from a Manipur High Court decision later stayed by the Supreme Court. Shah has maintained that the unrest was neither a governmental failure nor linked to terrorism or religion, but rather an ethnic conflict triggered by legal interpretation.