NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur a “pit stop” and said the trip is “tokenism” and a “grave insult” to the people of the state.
PM Modi arrived in Manipur on Saturday afternoon, his first trip to the state since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. He is scheduled to visit Kuki-dominated Churachandpur and Imphal, which is dominated by the Meitei community.
Mr Kharge accused PM Modi of organising a grand welcome ceremony for himself and claimed that it “is a cruel prick” to the wounds of those still suffering.
“Narendra Modi ji, your 3-hour pit stop in Manipur is not compassion — it’s farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to wounded people. Your so-called roadshow in Imphal and Churachandpur today, is nothing but a cowardly escape from hearing the cries of people in relief camps!” he posted on X.
“864 days of violence:– 300 lives lost, 67,000 displaced, 1,500 plus injured. You made 46 foreign trips since, but not a single visit to share two words of sympathy with your own citizens,” he said.
“Your last visit to Manipur? January 2022 – for elections! Your ‘Double Engine’ has bulldozed the innocent lives of Manipur. You and Home Minister Amit Shah’s gross incompetence and complicity in betraying all communities was shielded from scrutiny, by imposing President’s Rule in the state. Violence still continues,” he added.
The Congress chief said it is the BJP that was responsible for maintaining law and order in the state ,and it is now the Union government which is again “dithering”.
