Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is set to visit Manipur on Monday, July 8 in what will be his third visit to the northeastern state since violence erupted there in May last year. This announcement was made at a press conference in Imphal by Manipur Congress chief K. Meghachandra. Gandhi will commence his journey from Delhi, flying to Silchar, and from there, he will travel to the Jiribam district, where fresh violence broke out on 6th June.
“Gandhi will visit some relief camps in the district,” Meghachandra said, as per news agency PTI. He will then return to Silchar airport and take a flight to Imphal.
Upon arriving in Imphal, Gandhi will proceed to Churachandpur district to interact with people residing in relief camps. From Churachandpur, the Congress leader will travel by road to Moirang in Bishnupur district to visit additional relief camps before returning to Imphal for a planned meeting with Governor Anusuiya Uikey.
According to sources cited by PTI, Gandhi is also expected to meet with local Manipur leaders during his visit. Congress legislature party leader in Manipur, O. Ibobi Singh, remarked, “Gandhi visited the state twice since the outbreak of the violence on May 3 last year. He has visited relief camps to learn about the pains and sorrow of the people.”
Gandhi’s previous visits to Manipur include a trip in June 2023 and the initiation of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year. Notably, this visit will be his first since he became Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
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During a debate on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address in the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha earlier this week, Gandhi accused the BJP-led government of pushing Manipur into a civil war through its policies and politics. He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the state since the ethnic violence began.
“The government is behaving as if nothing has happened in Manipur. You have immersed Manipur into a civil war. Manipur has been burnt by you, your policies and your politics,” Gandhi stated in the Lok Sabha. He further alleged that the government was treating Manipur as if it were not an Indian state. “For the Prime Minister, there is no state of Manipur. We urged the Prime Minister to give a message, to go there. But no. You cannot get a reply from the Prime Minister,” he added.
Gandhi also highlighted the plight of women in the state. Responding to a remark from the treasury benches, he said, “You do not include women in your organisation, but I can speak about them.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Modi, while replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address, stated that the Centre was working with the state government and others to restore normalcy in Manipur. He mentioned that more than 500 people had been arrested and over 11,000 FIRs had been registered in the state. Modi also noted that Manipur was facing a flood situation, and the Centre had dispatched two teams from the National Disaster Response Force to assist.
Manipur has been embroiled in violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May last year, resulting in the deaths of approximately 200 people and the displacement of thousands. Large-scale arson has devastated homes and government buildings across the state.