New Delhi: The one-day session of the Manipur assembly today lasted just for 11 minutes. It was adjourned by Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata sine die.

News agency PTI has reported that the former chief minister and Congress legislature party leader Okram Ibobi Singh had strong words against how the session was called, at the very beginning of it.

The Wire has analysed how the one-day duration of the session – a decision by Governor Anusuiya Uikey, and then by the Business Advisory Committee of the Manipur assembly – has all the signs of a move made only to send out a message that the violence-roiled state is functional.

This is ostensibly to quell opposition demand for President’s Rule in a Bharatiya-Janata Party (BJP)-ruled ‘double-engine’ state.

“Is it (the session) emergency or short notice? We are confused. There is no rule of law in the land…This is a mockery. Let us save democracy, let us save the Constitution,” Ibobi Singh said.

The five Congress MLAs shouted slogans.

As per what they had announced earlier, the state’s 10 Kuki MLAs, including two cabinet ministers, did not attend the session. Although it was thought likely that the 10 Naga MLAs would boycott the session, they attended it.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh moved an obituary reference and proposed a two-minute silence for those killed in the violence, PTI further reported.