Outsourcing Manipur to HM abdication of prime ministerial responsibility: Cong

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Tuesday, 21 January, said "outsourcing" Manipur to Union Home minister Amit Shah is an abdication of prime ministerial responsibility which has proved disastrous and reiterated the demand that the PM visit the violence-hit state.

The opposition party's attack came after PM Modi greeted the people of Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur on their statehood day on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The formerly non-biological - and now suddenly human - Prime Minister has just sent greetings to the people of Manipur on their Statehood Day through social media. Yet, he has stubbornly refused to visit Manipur even briefly ever since its agony began on May 3, 2023."

"He has gone all over the world but has not found the time nor the inclination to reach out to the people of the state in Imphal and other places," he said.

Modi has stubbornly refused to meet MLAs of his own party in the state and has not had a one-on-one meeting with the CM, nor has he met with MPs, political leaders, and civil society organisations of the state, Ramesh said.

"His Statehood Day greetings are hollow and reflect his hypocrisy - which knows no limits," the Congress leader said.

"The Congress demands that he visit Manipur immediately. This is the very least he can do to show his concern if he has any. Outsourcing Manipur to the Union Home Minister is an abdication of Prime Ministerial responsibility and has proved disastrous," Ramesh said.

The Congress last week said that Modi has found time, inclination and energy to go all over the world but has not found it necessary to reach out to the distressed people in the northeastern state.

The party has been attacking the prime minister for not visiting Manipur besides slamming the Centre for its handling of the situation in the ethnic strife-torn northeastern state.

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.