The Union government on Thursday imposed President’s Rule in Manipur. The Legislative Assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.

This came four days after Bharatiya Janata Party leader N Biren Singh resigned as chief minister.

The last time President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur was between June 2, 2001, and March 5, 2002, for 276 days due to political instability.

President’s Rule under Article 356 transfers the powers and responsibilities of the state government to the Union government and the functions of the state legislature to Parliament for the duration of its enforcement. The only exception is the operation of High Courts, which are unaffected.

Singh resigned as chief minister on Sunday amid allegations from Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups that his response to the ethnic violence in Manipur was partisan and that he had stoked majoritarianism.

The BJP leader stepped down a day before his government was to face a no-confidence motion and floor test in the Assembly. The Opposition Congress described Singh’s resignation as belated and akin to “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted”.

Under Singh’s ministership, ethnic violence between the dominant Meiteis and the indigenous Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities has left at least 258 dead and displaced more than 59,000 since it began in May 2023.

The imposition of President’s Rule and Singh’s resignation have been the foremost demands of Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups.

On February 3, the Supreme Court ordered the Central Forensic Science Laboratory to submit in a sealed cover a report on audio clips allegedly linking Singh to the ethnic violence in the state.

The order came on a petition by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust. The organisation has sought an independent investigation into the audio recordings claiming that the tapes feature Singh taking credit for “how and why the conflict started”.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, told the court that the tapes had been examined by independent forensic laboratory Truth Labs. The laboratory had confirmed with 93% certainty that the voice heard in the recordings was that of the former chief minister, Bhushan said.

In November, the National People’s Party withdrew its support to Singh’s government on account of the violence. The Mizo National Front, another ally of the BJP, had also demanded Singh’s resignation.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as more details become available.

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