The Congress party delivered a blistering critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur, branding it a “three-hour pit stop” that amounts to “tokenism” and a “grave insult” to the state’s residents reeling from over two years of ethnic violence. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi of staging a self-aggrandizing welcome ceremony, calling it a “cruel prick” to the wounds of those enduring ongoing hardship.

In a fiery post on X just before Modi’s arrival, Kharge questioned the Prime Minister’s “Rajdharma” (duty to govern justly), slamming the visit as a “cowardly escape” from confronting the plight of people in relief camps. He highlighted the grim toll of the violence since May 2023: over 300 lives lost, 67,000 displaced, and more than 1,500 injured. “You made 46 foreign trips since the violence began, but not one visit to offer sympathy to your own citizens,” Kharge charged, noting Modi’s last trip to Manipur was in January 2022 for election campaigning.

Kharge accused Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of “gross incompetence” and “complicity” in failing all communities in Manipur, alleging that President’s Rule was imposed to shield their failures from scrutiny. “The BJP is responsible for law and order, yet violence persists. Your government has faltered on national security and border patrol,” he said, dismissing the visit as neither repentance nor guilt but a superficial spectacle.

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Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, speaking in Wayanad, echoed the criticism, expressing regret that Modi waited over two years to visit. “It’s unfortunate he allowed this crisis to fester, with so many lives lost. This isn’t the tradition of India’s prime ministers,” she told reporters, emphasizing the need for earlier action.

Modi’s visit, his first to Manipur since the ethnic clashes erupted, includes engagements in Churachandpur and Imphal, where he will meet internally displaced persons and inaugurate development projects worth Rs 8,500 crore. However, Congress argues the brief trip glosses over the state’s deep wounds, with Kharge accusing Modi of prioritizing optics over accountability.

The opposition’s sharp rebuke has fueled political tensions, casting a spotlight on Manipur’s unresolved crisis. As Modi’s visit unfolds, Congress’s accusations underscore a broader demand for meaningful action to heal a state scarred by violence and displacement, setting the stage for a heated debate on governance and responsibility.

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