Rajya Sabha passes six-month extension of President’s Rule in Manipur

The Rajya Sabha passed a six-month extension of President’s Rule in Manipur amid loud protests by Opposition MPs demanding debate on Bihar’s electoral rolls. The resolution was adopted via voice vote, with the House adjourned till August 6

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a statutory resolution extending President’s Rule in Manipur for a further six months, effective from August 13, 2025.

The resolution, tabled by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, was adopted through a voice vote amid persistent sloganeering and disruptions by Opposition members demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

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Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh presided over the session, which saw repeated appeals for order.“Please go to your seat and say ‘no’”, he urged Opposition MPs, reminding them that the resolution was a constitutional obligation under Article 356 and had to be disposed of within the mandated timeframe.

“We have not done any business in the House,” he added, pointing to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh as disruptions continued. Rai introduced the resolution, stating that the extension was necessitated by the ongoing administrative vacuum in Manipur. He clarified that the violence in the state was triggered by a High Court order related to reservation and not by religious conflict.

“Those who say it is communal are incorrect,” Rai said, adding that no deaths had been reported during the eight months of President’s Rule. He also noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs had held consultations with security agencies and civil society organisations, and that peace had largely returned to the state.

Despite the Deputy Chairman’s appeal for participation, Opposition members including Shushmita Dev, Tiruchi Siva, and Ram Pratap Garhi demanded a discussion on SIR under Rule 259.

Slogans such as “SIR par charcha ho” and “Vote ki chori nahi chalegi” echoed through the House, drowning out speeches and forcing multiple interventions from the Chair. Only Subhash Chandra Bose Pilli of the YSR Congress Party managed to speak, but his remarks were inaudible amid the ruckus.

When BJD MP Mujibullah Khan attempted to speak on Odisha, the Deputy Chairman redirected him to the statutory resolution. Opposition members declined to engage on the Manipur issue, insisting that the House first address electoral concerns.

Ultimately, the Deputy Chairman asked members to register their dissent from their seats and declared the resolution adopted through a voice vote. The House was then adjourned till August 6, leaving critical legislative business pending amid deepening procedural and political standoffs.