Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur, calling it a mere “pit stop” that insults victims of the state’s long-running ethnic violence. In a post on X, Kharge accused Modi of ignoring Manipur’s suffering for over 860 days, noting that the Prime Minister had made 46 foreign trips during this period but had not visited the state to console those displaced or bereaved.
Criticism of PM’s Handling of the Crisis
Kharge alleged that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah demonstrated “gross incompetence and complicity” in dealing with the turmoil. He said President’s Rule in Manipur had been used as a shield to escape accountability, even as violence displaced 67,000 people, injured more than 1,500, and claimed nearly 300 lives. Kharge described Modi’s trip as a “hush-hush pit stop,” not an act of repentance, but a “grand welcome ceremony” for himself that further deepened the wounds of those still in relief camps.
PM Modi’s First Visit Since 2023 Violence
The Prime Minister’s visit marks his first trip to Manipur since ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023. According to Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Modi was scheduled to land in Churachandpur—one of the worst-affected districts—to meet internally displaced people and launch development projects worth over ₹7,300 crore. The visit followed fresh tensions in Churachandpur, where vandals recently damaged decorations prepared for the event.
