Left parties blast imposition of PR
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 14 2025: The imposition of President's Rule in Manipur for a record 11th time has courted strong criticism from Left parties--the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) .

President's Rule has not been imposed in the interest of Manipur but to buy time to settle the internal conflict within the ruling coalition led by the BJP, and it reflects a clear failure of the "double-engine" Government, said the Left parties in separate statements.

The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said, "Imposition of President's Rule in Manipur shows that the BJP's so-called double engine approach has clearly failed" .

The President's Rule in Manipur should not be used as a cover for undermining Statehood, violating human rights or curbing democratic norms.

Keeping the Assembly under suspended animation has no political rationale and sense.

Fresh mandate of the people must be sought, said the Left party.

By imposing President's Rule, it said the BJP seems to be resorting to every desperate measure to cling to power, despite its gross mismanagement of the situation (Manipur crisis) .

"BJP's dishonesty and disregard for Parliamentary democracy is starkly visible in this decision, which was announced the very evening Parliament was adjourned, clearly to avoid Parliamentary scrutiny, one of the cardinal principles of our democracy," said the statement issued by CPI Office Secretary, Roykutty.

It is telling that the Prime Minister, while the crisis rages, has failed to visit the State even once.

He was out of the country when this crucial decision was announced.

BJP's "hollow" claims on National security stand exposed in the failure of the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the BJP Government of Manipur in managing a strategically sensitive State like Manipur, said the statement.

"It is time for the BJP to come clean on the issue and work inclusively with all stakeholders to promote genuine peace and reconciliation in the State.

We demand that the BJP Government take into confidence the political parties and forces in the State and try to address the root cause of the crisis, instead of shamelessly continuing in power through undemocratic means," it said.

In a separate statement, the Manipur State Secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said President's Rule is no solution in Manipur, and it underlines bankruptcy of the double engine Government, under whose rule the State has been in violent turmoil for almost two years.

It asserted that President's Rule has been imposed not in the interests of Manipur but to buy time to settle the internal conflicts within the ruling coalition particularly the ruling party BJP.

The Chief Minister was forced to resign because his role was being examined by a Court, State CPI(M) asserted.

Amid the turmoil, the Central leadership of the ruling party and the Government have "refused" to take the required action to alleviate the deep suffering inflicted on the people of Manipur symbolised by the Prime Minister's "callous refusal" to even visit the troubled State.

This exposes the sectarian approach of the ruling party which has put its own political interests above that of the State and its people, it added.

"The President's Rule is no solution.

However, now the Central Government cannot escape its responsibility.

It must immediately initiate measures to heal the deep divisions through negotiations with representatives of different communities, taking all political parties into confidence to arrive at just solutions to bring normalcy, peace and harmony while protecting the democratic rights of the people of the State, including the holding of elections within a time frame," said CPI (M) .

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