As Manipur prepares for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit on September 13, the Congress has sharply criticised the move, calling it an “insult” to the people who have been waiting for his intervention for the past 29 “long and agonising” months.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the visit would amount to a “non-visit” as the Prime Minister is expected to spend only about three hours in the state. “The proposed visit of the Prime Minister to Manipur on September 13 is being hailed by his cheerleaders. But it appears that he will be spending just about 3 hours—yes, just 3 hours—in the state. What does he hope to accomplish by such a rushed trip?” Ramesh wrote on X.
Calling it a “callous and insensitive” gesture, he added: “This is actually an insult to the people of the state who have waited for him for 29 long and agonising months. September 13 will actually be a non-visit by the PM.”
Ramesh also shared a media report that claimed Modi would stay in Manipur for only three hours.
This will be Modi’s first visit to the state since the outbreak of ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals in May 2023, which left over 250 people dead and displaced nearly 60,000. Despite a relative lull in violence in recent months, Manipur remains deeply divided along ethnic lines, with Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals still unable to enter each other’s areas.
The Congress has repeatedly attacked the Prime Minister for not visiting Manipur earlier despite the massive destruction and humanitarian crisis. Last week, the party remarked that while Modi may have finally “summoned up the courage and empathy” to visit the state, it could prove to be “too little, too late.”