New Delhi, July 27 (PTI): Rajya Sabha today passed the statutory resolution approving the President's rule in Manipur with home minister L K Advani assuring to dissolve the state Assembly as soon as the Presidential proclamation is passed by Lok Sabha as well.

Replying to a two-and-a-half hour discussion on the resolution which was passed by voice vote, Advani said though the government would be dissolving the assembly, it will not be in a hurry to hold assembly elections in the state.

�I would like to assure that after the President's proclamation is passed, government would like to dissolve the Assembly.

We will not be going for immediate elections,� he said.

Advani said the government wanted to ensure that there was a good governance in the state by containing corruption first so that people's faith was restored before holding elections.

He said the Centre did not dissolve the Assembly immediately after the imposition of President's rule on June two keeping in view the Supreme Court judgement on Bommai case wherein an Assembly could be dissolved only after the approval of the Presidential proclamation by both Houses of Parliament.

It was precisely on this count that the Assembly of Manipur has now been kept under suspended animation.

On the ceasefire issue, Advani assured that the Centre was committed to ensure that the boundary of any of the northeastern states would not be disturbed while pushing ahead the peace initiative with Naga rebels.

He said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has assured that the extension of ceasefire beyond Nagaland would be reviewed and a meeting of chief ministers of northeastern states was being held for the purpose.

The resolution could not have been passed without the support of the main opposition, Congress, as the ruling NDA did not have the majority in the Upper House.

Comment