Imphal/New Delhi, Aug. 10: Confusion reigned supreme in Manipur today after the unexplained disappearance of the cabinet secretary along with a sheaf of crucial documents minutes before the Okram Ibobi Singh cabinet was to meet to take a decision on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

The cabinet did sit for a discussion tonight after heated arguments among members of the ruling Secular Progressive Front (SPF) throughout the day, but could not reach a consensus. “Technical reasons” were cited for the failure of the cabinet to take a decision. The cabinet is likely to meet again tomorrow.

Amid the drama in Manipur, the Union home ministry asked the Border Security Force to begin preparing to replace the Assam Rifles in Manipur. Ministry officials said in New Delhi that they were also considering amendments to the armed forces act.

The officials, however, declined to say if the decision to replace the Assam Rifles was prompted by public anger against the paramilitary force in the wake of Thangjam Manorama’s death in custody.

Chief minister Ibobi Singh was pressured into convening the cabinet meeting by the SPF steering committee, which met last night. The committee adopted a resolution for the withdrawal of the armed forces act “partly or as deemed fit by the government”.

A source said the chief minister initially refused to sign the resolution, but relented after all 35 legislators who attended the meeting threatened to revolt. The CPI added to the pressure by stating in writing that it would pull out of the SPF if the cabinet did not take a decision on the act by Friday.

The source said the cabinet was to meet at 10 am and adopt a resolution to lift the act from the twin Imphal districts. Commerce and industry minister Debendra Singh, whom Congress chief Sonia Gandhi summoned to New Delhi, was to have taken the document with him for the high command’s approval.

Ibobi Singh, too, was to have left for the capital later in the day to meet Union home minister Shivraj Patil.

The cabinet meeting, however, did not begin on time because cabinet secretary P. Bharat Singh was nowhere to be found.

He had reportedly gone to the chief minister’s office early in the morning and taken away the resolution that was drafted last night and some related documents.