Gaurav Gogoi attacks PM Modi’s Manipur visit as ‘two years too late’

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday, 13 September, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur, calling it delayed and out of touch with the state’s realities.

“The first step on the journey to peace and healing in Manipur should have been the Prime Minister’s visit two years ago,” Gogoi said. “Now, two years late, his visit should primarily be about respecting the sentiments of the Northeast. Instead, the optics are tone-deaf and concentrated on the image of the Prime Minister rather than the ground reality.”

The Congress has repeatedly accused the government of neglecting Manipur, which has witnessed prolonged ethnic violence and displacement. Gogoi argued that the state required genuine engagement and concrete measures for reconciliation, not “publicity-driven gestures.”

The Manipur unit of the Congress on Saturday criticised Modi’s first visit to the state since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023, calling it a “symbolic show” that ignored key concerns of the people.

Congress Legislature Party leader Okram Ibobi Singh said Modi made “no mention” of the resettlement of the nearly 60,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) or of free movement along the state’s highways. “The PM should have announced a package for rehabilitation of the IDPs,” he told reporters.

During his speech in Imphal, Modi vowed to turn Manipur into a “symbol of peace and prosperity” and urged communities to shun violence, assuring them of the Centre’s support in rebuilding lives. He also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth ₹8,500 crore.

State Congress president Keisham Meghachandra said people were disappointed that Modi had not visited the state in the past 28 months despite the prolonged crisis. “There is no free movement at all. The PM only spoke about development projects—some of which were started during the Congress regime. His visit was a symbolic show,” he said.

Earlier, the Congress leadership in New Delhi described the trip as a “pit stop” and criticised Modi for spending “less than five hours” in Manipur while, they claimed, making ample time for political campaigns and foreign tours.

Modi’s trip comes amid mounting criticism from Opposition parties that the Centre has failed to address the ongoing crisis in the northeastern state.

With PTI inputs