The Congress party launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit to Japan and upcoming trip to China, alleging that India is being coerced into normalizing relations with Beijing on terms favorable to China. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a scathing post on X, accused China of exploiting strained India-US ties, exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s trade policies, to push India into a corner. The opposition also criticized Modi for neglecting the ongoing crisis in Manipur, where ethnic violence since May 2023 has left thousands displaced.

Ramesh, dubbing Modi the “Frequently Flying (and more frequently lying) Prime Minister,” claimed that Modi’s June 19, 2020, statement denying Chinese incursions during the Ladakh border row severely weakened India’s negotiating position. “His notorious and cowardly clean chit left us with little room to maneuver,” Ramesh said, arguing that the current visit, despite failing to restore the pre-April 2020 status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), is a direct consequence of that misstep. He also referenced “China’s jugalbandi with Pakistan” during Operation Sindoor, as revealed by India’s military, as evidence of Beijing’s hostile intent.

The Congress leader lambasted Modi for ignoring Manipur, where violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities has claimed over 200 lives. “While Modi jets off abroad, the long-suffering people of Manipur await his visit to heal wounds from May 2023,” Ramesh said, accusing the Prime Minister of “washing his hands off” the state and failing to engage with its leaders and civil society. He pinned the crisis on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s “blundering,” intensifying calls for Modi to visit the strife-torn state.

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Modi, currently in Tokyo for a two-day visit to strengthen India-Japan ties, will head to Tianjin, China, on August 31 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. His talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping aim to normalize bilateral relations strained since the 2020 Galwan clash, focusing on trade, border stability, and resuming direct flights. Modi expressed optimism that the visits would advance India’s interests and promote regional peace, but Congress argues the China engagement compromises India’s strategic autonomy, driven by external pressures rather than national priorities.

The controversy underscores deepening political divides as India navigates complex geopolitical challenges. With India-US relations strained and China asserting regional dominance, Congress’s allegations frame Modi’s diplomacy as a capitulation, potentially shaping public discourse ahead of key domestic elections. Meanwhile, Manipur’s unresolved crisis remains a flashpoint, with opposition parties intensifying pressure on the government to address the humanitarian and political fallout.

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