NEW DELHI, Nov 16: The Congress Party has once again criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his refusal to visit Manipur, where ethnic violence has raged for over a year, resulting in over 200 deaths. This criticism came as the Prime Minister embarked on a three-nation tour starting Saturday, visiting Brazil to attend the G20 Summit, followed by trips to Nigeria and Guyana.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed the Prime Minister’s foreign visit, referring to it as a “periodic foreign jaunt” and accusing him of attempting to score domestic political points rather than demonstrating statesmanship. 

“For the next three days, we will be spared the non-biological PM’s lie-surplus, dignity-deficit election campaign. He is off on his periodic foreign jaunt, where he will attempt to score domestic political points rather than engage in any pretence of statesmanship,” Ramesh remarked, emphasizing that Modi’s absence from Manipur is puzzling given the state’s ongoing crisis.

Ramesh’s criticism also centered around Modi’s steadfast refusal to visit Manipur, a state torn by ethnic violence since May 2023. The Congress leader questioned, “Why is Mr. Narendra Modi steadfastly refusing to visit the troubled state of Manipur that has been torn apart so tragically since May 2023? His refusal to do so is simply beyond any understanding.”

The Congress Party has been vocal in its criticism of the government’s handling of the violence in Manipur, accusing both state and central authorities of failing to resolve the crisis. The party has been urging the Prime Minister to visit Manipur, asserting that the people of the state, who have endured unimaginable suffering, deserve his attention. “The people of Manipur, who have seen and are continuing to experience so much agony and suffering daily, surely deserve such a visit,” Ramesh added.