Guwahati: The Congress party described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Manipur as a “rushed trip” and termed it an “insult” to the people who have waited nearly two and a half years for him.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, on Sunday, took to social media to voice the party’s disapproval.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
He claimed the Prime Minister’s proposed stopover amounts to a mere “three-hour visit,” calling it a “non-visit” that lacks both substance and empathy.
Ramesh stated, “The Prime Minister’s visit is being projected as significant by his supporters, but in reality, he will only spend about three hours in Manipur. What does he expect to accomplish in that time?” He added that such a brief engagement, after 29 months of silence, “insults the people of the state.”
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
In another sharp comment, Ramesh criticized the Prime Minister’s priorities: “While Modi continues his regular foreign trips, he has consistently refused to step foot in Manipur, which has been pleading for his attention.”
The Congress party had previously remarked that while Modi may have finally found the will to visit the troubled northeastern state, the gesture could come far too late to make a meaningful difference.
Ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities have plagued Manipur since May 2023, leaving over 260 people dead and displacing thousands. Despite repeated appeals for intervention, the Prime Minister had not visited the state since the conflict began.
The political situation worsened earlier this year when Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned, prompting the imposition of President’s Rule by the Centre. Although the Manipur Assembly remains in suspended animation, its term officially extends until 2027.
As criticism over the Centre’s inaction grows louder, the Congress has positioned Modi’s belated visit as evidence of the government’s ongoing apathy toward Manipur’s humanitarian and political crisis.