• By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
  • Sat, 13 Sep 2025 03:26 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday criticised PM Modi for his “pit-stop” in Manipur, terming it a “grave insult” for the citizens of the violence-hit state, who have been caught in the crossfire of the Kuki-Meitei conflict for the past two years. This was the first visit of PM Modi since the ethnic conflict broke out in Manipur in 2023. 

PM Modi arrived in the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur in Manipur and met the displaced people at the Peace Ground and inaugurated several developmental projects. Before visiting Churachandpur, PM Modi visited the Meitei-dominated region of Imphal and laid the foundation stone for various projects. 

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Slamming PM Modi for his short visit, Mallikarjun Kharge said that organising such a grand welcome for him was like rubbing salt into the wounds of the people of Manipur who have endured a lot of harrowing experiences since the start of the conflict.

"Narendra Modi ji, your 3-hour pit stop in Manipur is not compassion, it's farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to wounded people. Your so-called roadshow in Imphal and Churachandpur today, is nothing but a cowardly escape from hearing the cries of people in relief camps!" Kharge wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

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Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadhra also slammed PM Modi’s visit to Manipur and said, “I am glad that he has decided, after two years, that it is worth visiting (Manipur). He should have gone long before. It is very unfortunate that he has allowed what is happening there to continue for so long and for so many people to be killed. That has not been the tradition of prime ministers in India."

Kuki-Meitei Ethnic Manipur Conflict 

Manipur has been engulfed by ethnic conflicts between the Kuki and Meitei since 2023. The primary reason of the conflict is the issue of reservation demanded by the Meitei, which has been vehemently opposed by the Kukis. The Meiteis, who are currently in the ‘general’ category, want to be included in the ‘scheduled tribes’ category.

Meanwhile, the Kukis are demanding a separate state to be carved out of Manipur. The Kukis share their ethnic identity with the neighbouring Myanmar's Chin State and Mizoram.

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However, the conflict also extends to a range of other issues like land rights and political representation. The Kukis have been unhappy over the discriminatory policies of the state government, which was led by N Biren Singh, himself a Meitei.