Kharge Calls PM Modi’s Manipur Visit ‘Tokenism’
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticises PM Modi’s visit to Manipur, calling it “tokenism” and a “pit stop” amid ongoing ethnic violence.
- Congress chief terms PM’s three-hour Manipur trip a “pit stop” and “grave insult”
- Modi visits Churachandpur and Imphal for first time since May 2023 ethnic violence
- Kharge cites 300 deaths, 67,000 displaced, and 1,500 injured during 16-month unrest
- Accuses BJP of “gross incompetence” and shielding failures under President’s Rule
- Priyanka Gandhi says PM should have visited “long before” to show solidarity
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Sept: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday denounced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur as a “pit stop” and a “grave insult” to the violence-hit state, alleging that the trip was mere “tokenism” rather than a show of solidarity.
PM Modi arrived in Manipur on Saturday afternoon—his first visit since ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023—and is scheduled to tour Kuki-dominated Churachandpur and the Meitei-majority Imphal. He will also meet internally displaced people and lay the foundation stones for projects worth ₹8,500 crore.
Kharge, however, accused the Prime Minister of staging a “grand welcome ceremony” while ignoring the pain of thousands still reeling from the unrest. “Narendra Modi ji, your three-hour pit stop in Manipur is not compassion—it’s farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to wounded people. Your so-called roadshow in Imphal and Churachandpur today is nothing but a cowardly escape from hearing the cries of people in relief camps,” he posted on X.
The Congress chief highlighted the toll of the 16-month-long violence: “864 days of violence: 300 lives lost, 67,000 displaced, 1,500-plus injured. You made 46 foreign trips since, but not a single visit to share two words of sympathy with your own citizens.” He pointed out that the Prime Minister’s last visit to the state was in January 2022 for election campaigning.
Kharge further accused the BJP-led government of “gross incompetence and complicity,” alleging that both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had “bulldozed innocent lives” while shielding their actions by imposing President’s Rule. “This hush-hush pit stop isn’t repentance. It’s not even guilt. It is a cruel prick to the wounds of those still suffering because of your own abdication of basic constitutional responsibilities. In the words of your own… Where is your Rajdharma?” he asked.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed the criticism, saying the Prime Minister should have visited “long before.” Speaking in Wayanad, she said, “I am glad that he has decided, after two years, that it is worth visiting. He should have gone long before. It is very unfortunate that he has allowed what is happening there to continue for so long and for so many people to be killed. That has not been the tradition of prime ministers in India.”
Manipur Violence Background
Ethnic clashes between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki tribes erupted in May 2023 over issues including land rights and political representation. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced. The Meiteis, a general category group, seek Scheduled Tribe status, while the Kukis, who share ethnic ties with Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram, have demanded a separate administration, citing discrimination and inequitable resource distribution.
PM Modi is expected to interact with displaced families in relief camps during his visit and inaugurate key development projects aimed at rebuilding the violence-scarred state.
