Thu Apr 03 22:32:03 UTC 2025: ## Congress Condemns Midnight Manipur Vote as “Insult”
**New Delhi, April 4, 2025** – The Congress party has strongly criticized the government’s decision to debate the extension of President’s Rule in Manipur at 2 a.m. on Thursday, calling it a deliberate attempt to “bulldoze” the resolution and disregard the sanctity of Parliament.
Deputy Leader of the Congress, Gaurav Gogoi, accused Home Minister Amit Shah of insulting the people of Manipur by scheduling the discussion at such an unusual hour, allowing only a limited time for debate. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh echoed these sentiments on X, highlighting Prime Minister Modi’s absence from the strife-torn state and his recent trip to Bangkok. Ramesh criticized the late-night debate as “adding insult to injury.”
The Opposition was reportedly surprised by the announcement, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress members unsuccessfully requesting a postponement until morning. Despite their objections, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla proceeded with the discussion following the Waqf (Amendment) Bill vote. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the experience of making a 2 a.m. speech in Parliament as “unusual.” The Congress’s criticism centers on the lack of adequate time for debate and the government’s alleged attempt to minimize scrutiny of the Manipur situation.
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