Congress MP Akoijam slams PM Modi’s visit to Manipur as “pit stop”

Congress MP Akoijam has strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur, calling it a “pit stop” rather than a sincere attempt to address the state’s ongoing crisis. 

Speaking to the media, Akoijam said the visit lacked seriousness and failed to provide any concrete roadmap to resolve the conflict that has gripped the state for more than two years.

Recalling his earlier statements, Akoijam said he had once felt abandoned by the Prime Minister’s silence, but later concluded it no longer mattered whether Modi visited or not. “As a Prime Minister, he came. I expected sincerity and honesty, but this was not a dedicated visit—it was like a stopover. 

There was no time to meet political leaders, civil society, women’s groups, or security officials. He announced some development projects and left, as if everything is normal,” he remarked.

The Congress MP lamented the absence of any announcement on disarmament, relief for internally displaced persons (IDPs), or steps to restore free movement across buffer zones and highways. “Citizens cannot access certain territories in their own state. This is abnormal, yet the Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge it. His refusal to articulate the crisis is a refusal to recognise our tragedy,” he said.

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Akoijam also accused Modi of showing insensitivity towards Manipur, contrasting his quick visits to Gujarat in times of local tragedies with his reluctance to console victims in Manipur. “Have you ever heard him condole the dead or express sorrow for the lives lost here? Never. It’s as if our suffering doesn’t matter,” he added.

Drawing a comparison with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Akoijam pointed out that Gandhi had physically visited relief camps, interacting with displaced people, while Modi merely met a handful of IDPs at a selected venue. “That was a photo-op, not genuine concern,” Akoijam said, insisting that a true show of leadership would have been a personal visit to the camps.

Concluding, the MP said Modi’s visit has only deepened disappointment in Manipur. “For the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy to deny our crisis and treat it as business as usual is very unfortunate. This visit will be remembered as a huge missed opportunity.”