New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that the situation in Manipur is coming back to normal and the government can not be blamed for the debate concerning President’s Rule in Manipur.
Rijiju while speaking with the media said the government cannot be blamed for the debate concerning President’s Rule in Manipur having been taken up late at night in Parliament, saying the opposition wanted more time for the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill.
“Initially, I said we could take six hours’ discussion (on the Waqf Amendment Bill) because enough has been deliberated in the JPC. Whatever we have to say, let us discuss for six hours. Finally, I agreed for eight hours. But the opposition kept on insisting 12 hours beyond, saying that the chair should take the sense of the house and discuss for a longer period of time and we acceded to it. So, it is not our fault that the Manipur case came right after the Waqf Amendment Bill. As Lok Sabha passed the bill at midnight, we only had one day left in Rajya Sabha,” the Union Minister said.
He said it was a constitutional obligation to undertake the ratification process of President’s Rule in two months.
“If we don’t take up immediately, then it is a constitutional obligation that within two months, the ratification has to take place when there is a proclamation of President’s Rule. After six months, it has to be extended through the discussion in the Parliament. Parliament has to pass it. So these are constitutional requirements. Nobody should blame that we took up the Manipur case at midnight,” he added.
Answering a query, Rijiju said while there was an incident in Manipur, states in the northeast were seeing rapid progress.
“After 2014 northeast is seeing the true light of development. Barring the Manipur incident every other northeastern region is having an era of peace, tranquillity and development. Manipur issue is not a case where the government can be put to the test.
We are not at fault. Before we came to power in 2014, Manipur used to face blockades, ethnic war, ethnic conflicts, so many incidents happening and state used to be under this kind of violence for years, where thousands have already lost their life,” Rijiju said.
He also referred to the opposition’s demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur and to the violence the state had witnessed before the Modi government came to power at the Centre.
“Did we ever say that the Prime Minister should go there? Why Manipur is happening? Those initial days, all the struggle in the Manipur, all the undergrounds, the militants, they were against the state. This incident in Manipur is not against the state. This is neither a creation of the Central government nor this fight is against the Government of India. It is between two brothers,” he said.