‘Not even 10 minutes for woes’: Manipur Kuki BJP MLA labels PM’s visit "wastage of resources"

In a rare public rebuke from within the ruling party, BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip from the Kuki community has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s short stopover in Manipur, questioning the purpose of the visit and calling it a waste of public resources.

Speaking after the Prime Minister’s programme in Imphal, Haokip said the people of Manipur had hoped Modi would come to hear their grievances and aspirations. “But not even ten minutes were spared to listen to our woes—not even from party MLAs,” he said.

Calling the visit mere optics, Haokip added, “I’ll meet and greet him when he has time to listen to the woes and aspirations of my people.” His comments reflect simmering dissatisfaction among sections of the BJP in Manipur, where the ongoing crisis has left tens of thousands displaced for over two years.

Also Read: PM Modi urges strong bridge of trust between people of Manipur’s Hills and Valley

The Prime Minister’s visit, marked by inaugurations and public announcements, has drawn sharp criticism from both the Opposition and sections of civil society, who expected a concrete roadmap for peace and rehabilitation in the violence-hit state.

Meanwhile, a group of 10 legislators from Manipur from the Kuki community submitted a joint memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first-ever visit to Churachandpur, appealing for an early political settlement and the creation of a separate Union Territory with a legislature.

The memorandum, signed by MLAs cutting across BJP, KPA and Independent affiliations, stated that the minority community had been subjected to unprecedented “ethnic persecution” in Manipur, alleging state complicity in violence that forced them out of the valley areas.

“We can now live in peace only as good neighbours, never under the same roof again,” the memorandum declared, asserting that separation was the only way to ensure lasting peace, justice, and security for their people.