Imphal: The Congress on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Japan and China, accusing him of neglecting the ongoing crisis in Manipur where violence has continued since May 2023.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, alleged that the “Frequently Flying (and more frequently lying) Prime Minister” had once again chosen foreign travel while the people of Manipur awaited his presence to help heal the state’s wounds.
Ramesh said Modi’s trip to China comes at a “moment of reckoning” for India, adding that the government was being compelled to normalise ties with Beijing “largely on their terms.” He alleged that China was exploiting strains in Indo-US relations and pointed to its close coordination with Pakistan during “Operation Sindoor,” citing inputs from the Indian military establishment.
Referring to Modi’s June 19, 2020 statement after the Galwan clash — “Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai” — Ramesh said the remark had severely undermined India’s negotiating strength. According to him, the Prime Minister’s “cowardly clean chit” left India with little room to manoeuvre and made the current visit inevitable despite the failure to restore the pre-April 2020 status quo along the Line of Actual Control.
“Even as the PM jets off abroad, the long-suffering people of Manipur are still awaiting his visit there to heal the wounds of May 2023. He has simply washed his hands off Manipur, refusing to engage with the state’s political parties, leaders, civil society organisations, and the people themselves,” Ramesh said, blaming the Union Home Minister’s “blundering” for the continuing unrest.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi began the first leg of his tour in Japan on August 29, where he is attending bilateral engagements. He will then travel to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Modi expressed confidence that his visit would advance India’s interests and contribute to regional and global peace.