The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indifference to the misery of strife-hit Manipur, where fresh tensions have led to Internet suspension and curfew in five districts.
“For the past 24 hours five districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Katching and Bishnupur — have been rocked by violence,” Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
He outlined the history of the 25-month-old violence that broke out on a BJP government’s watch in the state, and suggested the authorities were apathetic about ending the unrest.
“Hundreds of innocent men, women, and children were killed. Thousands were displaced. Places of worship were destroyed,” he wrote.
Ramesh flagged how a three-member inquiry commission, set up by the Centre in June 2023, “has been given repeated extensions to submit its report and the latest deadline given to it is Nov 20, 2025”.
“On Aug 1, 2023, the Supreme Court observed that ‘there had been an absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state for the past two months’,” he posted.
“The Union home minister went through the motions of visiting Manipur while the PM maintained absolute silence refusing to say anything and meet anybody from the state.”
Ramesh underlined that the Centre had ignored his party’s demands for President’s rule for months, eventually buckling last February after the Congress threatened a no-confidence motion against the chief minister.
“President’s Rule, however, has made no difference. The Governor himself has been forced to travel from Imphal airport to his residence by helicopter. Law and order in many parts of the state remains in a state of peril,” Ramesh wrote.
“When will the PM find the time and inclination to visit Manipur? His drum-beaters once claimed that he had stopped the war between Ukraine and Russia for a while. That claim, like most of his boasts, proved completely bogus.
Ramesh added: “The PM has travelled to different parts of the world and visited numerous states of our country to do his trademark inaugurations. But he has NEVER met with political leaders or civil society organisations from Manipur having outsourced the management of the state’s affairs to the Union Home Minister who has failed miserably.”
Congress MP Priyanka Vadra posted on X: “Manipur is once again in the grip of violence. For nearly twoyears, the people of the state have been facing violence, murder, rape and migration. Hundreds have died, thousands of people are homeless. What is the reason that despite the central government ruling, peace is not being restored there?
“Why has the Prime Minister left Manipur to its fate?... To step back from this is to turn away from one’s duty.”
Clashes between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos have killed more than 250 people and left at least 60,000 displaced since May 2023.
Manipur has virtually been bifurcated geographically, with central forces guarding the de facto boundary between the Meitei-majority Imphal valley and the Kuki-Zo-dominated hill areas.