The UPA government may yet find it politically incorrect to destabilise the Ibobi Singh government in Manipur, but after the Congress core committee meeting on Friday evening, the Centre appears on the verge of taking the hard step of reimposing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Imphal in the near future.
The core committee meeting attended by PM Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and senior Cabinet ministers, mulled over options to deal with the Manipur crisis. It was highlighted that only the insurgents benefit from partial withdrawal of the Special Powers Act.
The replacement of Ibobi Singh with contenders like Th. Debendra Singh, who has been camping in Delhi with former CM Rishang Keishing, was also discussed. But this meant that the Centre would have to be prepared to impose President’s Rule on a Congress-ruled state as the possibility of legislators, who are under duress from the insurgents, resigning and joining the Manipuris on the street was high. This could lead to the anger of the Manipuris being directed at the Centre rather than their elected representatives.
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