NEW DELHI, March 22: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court judges’ visit to Manipur but took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why he has not visited the violence-hit state in nearly two years.

A Supreme Court judges’ delegation, led by Justice BR Gavai, visited Imphal on Saturday to review relief camps in Manipur, where ethnic violence has been ongoing for nearly two years. The visit, however, drew a sharp reaction from Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, who questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence.

“It is good that Supreme Court judges have gone, but the bigger question is when will the Prime Minister visit?” Ramesh asked.

He further took a swipe at PM Modi’s foreign trips, stating, “We hope that on his way to Bangkok or while returning from Bangkok, the Prime Minister takes some time to visit Manipur. The Prime Minister’s visit is crucial for a healing touch,” Ramesh added.

While welcoming the Supreme Court’s intervention, Ramesh also criticized the delay in imposing President’s Rule in the state, emphasizing, “We welcome the six judges who have gone to Manipur. But the question arises, even after the Supreme Court itself on August 1, 2023, said that the constitutional system in Manipur had been completely demolished, why did it take 18 months to impose President’s Rule?”

Taking aim at Home Minister Amit Shah for what he claimed was a lack of focus on Manipur, Ramesh said, “Yesterday, the Home Minister gave a response in the Rajya Sabha for about four hours about the work of his Home Ministry, but he did not say much about Manipur.” He also questioned why Shah visited Mizoram but not Manipur, asking, “The Home Minister goes to Mizoram, why didn’t he go to Manipur?”

Ramesh further remarked, “And the things that the Chief Minister of Mizoram has said after going to America raise many questions.”