Constitutional Crisis in Manipur: Governor's Inaction Raises Questions

The Congress accuses the Manipur governor of violating Article 174(1) of India's Constitution by not summoning the state's legislative assembly. This inaction follows the resignation of Manipur's Chief Minister, N Biren Singh, amid ethnic violence and political turmoil, delaying a no-confidence motion against him.

In a pointed critique, the Congress has accused the Manipur governor of breaching constitutional obligations by failing to convene the Manipur Legislative Assembly. According to Article 174(1) of the Indian Constitution, the interval between two sessions must not exceed six months.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, highlighted that today marks the constitutional deadline for a legislative session. He questioned why the Manipur governor has not yet summoned the assembly, especially after the state’s political crisis.

Political tensions have been high since N Biren Singh resigned as Chief Minister amid ethnic violence that has resulted in over 250 deaths. His resignation came ahead of a Congress-led no-confidence motion, which has been stalled due to the voided assembly session.