Seizing on LoP Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to Manipur, Congress to target PM Modi, turn up heat on BJP

Days after highlighting the Manipur crisis among other issues duringhis speech in the Lok Sabha while participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi is all set to visit the troubled Northeastern state on Monday.

Senior Congress leaders have maintained that Gandhi’s first trip to Manipur as the LoP would send out a message that “it is high time Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also visit the strife-torn state”, which has beenroiled by ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi communities since May last year.

During his day-long visit to Manipur, Gandhi will meet violence-affected people in relief camps in three places – Jiribam, Churachandpur (districts), and Moirang (Bishnupur district). He is also scheduled to meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey to discuss the crisis.

His visit to Jiribam town assumes significance as it remained largely unaffected by clashes until June this year, when a killing shattered its tenuous year-long peace.

“The Congress has repeatedly spoken about PM Modi not visiting Manipur since May last year. Now it is time for us to walk the talk, and hence, Rahul Gandhi has decided to go there for the third time since May last year. The message is clear – that our leader will do what the PM won’t,” said an All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader.

The leader claimed this would also send a message to the people that “while PM Modi is visiting foreign countries, our leader is standing with the people of a state which has been neglected despite being in turmoil for so long”.

PM Modi is going to visit Russia on July 8-9, followed by Austria on July 9-10.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the AICC’s in-charge for Manipur Girish Chodankar