NEW DELHI, March 19: The Congress party on Tuesday welcomed the decision of six Supreme Court judges to visit Manipur and slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the troubled state, which has been grappling with ethnic violence for nearly a year.

Justice B R Gavai and five other Supreme Court judges will be visiting relief camps in Manipur, which has been severely affected by ethnic violence, on March 22. The visit is being facilitated by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, expressed the party’s support for the judges’ visit. Speaking to PTI, he recalled that in August 2023, the Supreme Court had noted an “absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery” in the northeastern state. Ramesh questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence on the ongoing crisis in Manipur, saying, “He goes around the world, goes to Assam, elsewhere, but doesn’t go to Manipur, even as the people of the state continue to wait and wait for his visit.”

Ramesh also criticized the government for its delayed response to the crisis, noting that despite the Supreme Court’s strong statement in August 2023, it took the Modi government nearly 18-19 months to impose President’s rule in the state. He further questioned the government’s decisions, including why there was no full-time governor for Manipur for six months and why a tribal woman, a distinguished political figure, was replaced and her position handed over to the Governor of Assam.

The Congress leader pointed out that the eventual appointment of a retired civil servant as a full-time governor also raised questions, emphasizing the delay in the process. “Most importantly, why is the Prime Minister still silent on Manipur?” he said, adding that the prime minister frequently travels abroad but has not visited the state, despite the ongoing crisis.

Ramesh stressed that “the pain of Manipur is the pain of India” and expressed relief that the Supreme Court judges would be visiting the state. He expressed hope that their visit would provide answers to many of these unresolved questions.

NALSA’s statement noted that Justice Gavai, along with Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, M M Sundresh, K V Viswanathan, and N Kotiswar Singh, would visit relief camps as part of the duodecennial celebrations of the Manipur High Court. The judges’ visit underscores the ongoing need for legal and humanitarian assistance to the affected communities.

During the visit, Justice Gavai, who is also the executive chairman of NALSA, will virtually inaugurate legal service and medical camps across the state, as well as new legal aid clinics in Imphal East, Imphal West, and Ukhrul districts. Additionally, essential relief materials will be distributed to the internally displaced persons, as part of efforts to address the humanitarian crisis.