Manipur Assembly session called off after Biren Singh resigns

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Sunday called off the new Manipur Assembly session, slated to begin from tomorrow, February 10, hours after N Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister of the state.

In an official notice, the Governor announced that the previous order issued on January 24, which had scheduled the Assembly session to commence on February 10, had been deemed "null and void".

N Biren Singh resigned from the top post on Sunday, as the incumbent BJP government in the riot-hit state faces the possibility of a no-confidence motion and a floor test by the Congress-led Opposition.

"It has been an honour to serve the people of Manipur thus far. I am extremely grateful to the central government for time actions, interventions, developmental work and implementation of various projects for safeguarding the interests of every single Manipur," Singh said in his letter which was submitted to the Governor at the Raj Bhavan in the presence of other BJP leaders and MLAs.

Reacting to the development in



the state, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that "mounting public pressure" and the threat of a no-confidence motion had "forced a reckoning".

"For nearly two years, BJP's CM Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of the idea of India in Manipur," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Raebareli MP said the need of the hour was to restore peace in the state embroiled in ethnic conflict. Renewing his party's party's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi said he needed to visit the state "at once".

"PM Modi must visit Manipur at once, listen to the people and finally explain his plan to bring back normalcy," he said.

Earlier, Congress's Rajya Sabha MP confirmed that Congress was set to move a no-confidence motion against him and his cabinet in the state assembly tomorrow. Calling Singh's resignation "belated", Ramesh said the Congress had been demanding his removal since May 2023, when violence first erupted in the state.