New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Manipur, accusing him of failing to apologise for not visiting earlier and questioning the short duration of his stay.
In a post on X, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Chidambaram said the Prime Minister has “not even bothered” to visit Manipur earlier and “did not apologise for not coming.” He wrote, “In the 2023 riots in Manipur, 258 people lost their lives, 1,108 people were injured, 532 places of worship were damaged, 60,000 people were displaced, and thousands are still in refugee camps today. For two years, Prime Minister Modi has not even bothered to visit Manipur.”
Chidambaram added, “Mr. Modi, who went to Manipur yesterday, did not express a single word of regret, nor did he apologise for not coming for two years. Can you buy the people of Manipur for Rs 7,300 crore projects, Rs 1,200 crore projects?”
This was PM Modi’s first visit since the ethnic conflict erupted in Manipur in May 2023, which saw ongoing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities. During his visit, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Churachandpur and inaugurated projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal.
Amid political criticism, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also commented on the brevity of the visit. On X, he said, “The people of Manipur have been undergoing tremendous pain, distress, suffering, and agony for the past 28 months ever since the state erupted. The people of Manipur have waited patiently for the PM to visit the state. He has finally obliged them today. But he was in the state, from landing till take-off, for less than 5 hours.”
Ramesh added, “The PM has the time (and the inclination) to spend days campaigning and travelling across the world. But is Manipur worth only so much to him? It is shockingly insensitive.” He concluded with a Hindi phrase: der aae par durust nahi aae (PM’s visit delayed, however, not adequate).
During his visit on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi appealed to the various ethnic groups in Manipur to shun violence and work towards restoring peace, stating that a new dawn of “hope and confidence” is emerging in the northeastern state. (ANI)
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