Kiren Rijiju defends decision to hold debate on Manipur past midnight

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju addressed a press conference in New Delhi, on April 4, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the decision to hold debate on Proclamation of Presidential Rule in Manipur past midnight in both Houses of Parliament. He said that the Opposition parties had been taken on board and it was decided in the Business Advisory Committee of the two houses that the debate would not be pushed to the weekend.

“Rules dictate that the Presidential rule has to be approved by the Parliament within two-months of the proclamation. So, it was necessary to clear it in the ongoing Parliament session. We had consulted the Opposition parties, who insisted that it should not be taken up on a weekend. We had also considered holding the house on Saturday to make up for the holiday for Holi, but there was no consensus on this,” Mr. Rijiju told reporters at the concluding press conference for the Budget session, when asked about the urgency to hold the discussion in the wee hours.

Also read | Congress claims discussion on President’s Rule in Manipur in Lok Sabha at two a.m. disregards ‘sanctity’ of Parliament

In both Houses of Parliament, the debate on Manipur was taken up after clearing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. In Lok Sabha, the discussion began at 2 a.m. on Thursday, and in Rajya Sabha, at 2.30 a.m. on Friday.

In Rajya Sabha, before initiating the debate, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged the government to take up the discussion at 11 a.m. on Friday when the house reassembles for the day’s sitting. But his suggestion was rejected.

Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O’ Brien, in a post sharing his speech on Manipur, asked, “What’s the real reason Parliament was discussing Manipur at 4 a.m.?”