New Delhi [India], September 13 : Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Manipur, which has been grappling with violence and unrest for the past 28 months.
In a post on X, Ramesh criticised the PM for spending less than five hours in the state, questioning his commitment to addressing the plight of Manipur's people.
"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," he said.
Highlighting the brevity of the visit, Ramesh further remarked on X, "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 aaepr durust nhiiN aae," (PM's visit delayed, however, not adequate).
This is PM Modi's first visit after an ethnic conflict erupted in Manipur in May 2023, and the discord between the Meitei and Kuki communities has persisted for a significant length of time. The conflict has inflicted lasting damage on Manipur, hindering its economy, disrupting its society, and destabilising its political landscape.
During his visit to Manipur on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to various ethnic groups in Manipur to shun violence and work towards restoring peace in the State. He stated that a new dawn of "hope and confidence" is emerging in the northeastern state.
In a recent development, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Churachandpur in Manipur.