A group of 21 Manipur MLAs from National Democratic Alliance parties submitted letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, asking for a popular government to be installed in the state after over two months of Presidents Rule. The MLAs include the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the National Peoples Party (NPP), and the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) MLAs from the states Meitei, Naga, and Pangal communities. The signatories do not include former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh or any of the MLAs and former ministers who remained close to him during his tenure as Chief Minister. The letters were submitted in Delhi on Tuesday. The letters state that the people of Manipur welcome the Presidents Rule which was imposed with effect from February 13, 2025, with lots of hopes and expectations. It is going to be almost three months since Presidents Rule was imposed but no visible actions to bring peace and normalcy in the state is seen so far. The signatories cite apprehensions on the recurrence of violence in the state. Many civil society organizations have come out openly against the imposition of the Presidents Rule. They have been demanding installation of a popular government in the state. These organizations have started organizing public rallies, street corner meetings instigating the general public, blaming the Ruling MLAs for not staking claim to form a popular Government and fixing responsibility for imposition of Presidents Rule in Manipur. In the light of the above facts and circumstances we feel that installation of a popular government is the only means to bring peace and normalcy in Manipur, it stated. Presidents Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 this year, days after N. Biren Singh resigned as chief minister, largely because of pressure from unhappy BJP colleagues from the Manipur valley. The signatories to these recent letters include the same set of MLAs. People are aware that the policies of the former government were totally wrong. It is now almost two years of the conflict and both communities need to sit and talk but no action has been taken towards such a programme. Among the MLAs there is an understanding that the situation is not improving and we need a new government. There has been no progress under Presidents Rule we had expected more to be done under it. Under a new popular government, the MLAs from both sides can talk amongst each other. We will accept any person chosen by the central leaders, said one of the MLAs who had submitted the letter in Delhi. Another signatory to the letter called the meeting held in Delhi between Meitei and Kuki-Zo CSOs in Delhi earlier this month a complete eyewash. That can be a confidence building measure but political decisions cannot be made at that level. Yes, it is true that bullets are not being fired between both sides but that is just a pre-requisite to work on everything else. Till date, no real disarmament has happened, the highways are still not open to all communities everywhere and political dialogue has not started, said the MLA. Another signatory said that the NDA MLAs are under increasing pressure from sections of the public over the formation of a government. There is a restlessness over the lack of visible action under Presidents Rule. Nobody knows what is the vision and what are the steps that are going to be taken, people are in the dark. At the same time, the Union Home Minister said in the Parliament that Presidents Rule was only imposed because Biren Singh resigned and no one staked claim to form a government, and not because of law and order issues. This agitated people because how can that be. The BJP and its allies are a huge majority in the assembly so people are questioning why no one would stake claim to form the government. So as MLAs, it is our duty to make these things known to the Centre, said the MLA.
Reference : https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/manipur-nda-mlas-write-to-centre-9974164/
