Imphal/Churachandpur, September 13: Heavy rain lashed parts of Manipur on Saturday, just hours ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the state. Sections of Imphal’s historic Kangla Fort, where the Prime Minister is slated to address a public gathering, were seen waterlogged with ankle-deep water. Churachandpur town also reported heavy downpours.
Amid speculation over a possible change in Modi’s itinerary, the Churachandpur district administration issued a clarification, dismissing rumours of cancellation. “The Prime Minister will visit Churachandpur as scheduled. Rumours suggesting otherwise are false and misleading,” the statement said. Authorities urged the public not to be misled by misinformation and called for full cooperation to ensure smooth arrangements.
This marks Modi’s first visit to Manipur since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023, which left over 260 people dead and thousands displaced. The Prime Minister is scheduled to reach Churachandpur, a Kuki stronghold, in the afternoon before travelling to Imphal, the heartland of the Meitei community.
During the visit, Modi will unveil development projects worth ₹8,500 crore and interact with some internally displaced persons. Security has been tightened across the state, with a heavy deployment in both Imphal and Churachandpur to prevent any untoward incidents.
