Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will embark on a visit to Manipur, which has been affected by ethnic violence, from June 29 to 30, party general secretary KC Venugopal informed on Tuesday.
Venugopal added that during Gandhi's visit, he will tour the relief camps established in the state and engage in discussions with representatives from civil society in Imphal and Churachandpur.
"Sh. @RahulGandhi ji will be visiting Manipur on 29-30 June. He will visit relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur during his visit," Venugopal said in his tweet.
"Manipur has been burning for nearly two months, and desperately needs a healing touch so that the society can move from conflict to peace. This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate," he added.
Since May 3, Manipur has been gripped by unrest stemming from clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which erupted after a protest march led by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM). Tragically, the violence in this hilly region has resulted in over 100 fatalities.
The Congress party has been criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his perceived "silence" on the matter, as the tense situation in the border state shows no signs of abating.
Accusing the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Minister of inaction, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has raised concerns over the escalating situation in Manipur. Ramesh claimed that while the state is engulfed in turmoil, Prime Minister Modi remains silent, Home Minister Amit Shah is ineffective, and Chief Minister N Biren Singh is non-functional. Ramesh went on to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Biren Singh, emphasizing that every moment he remains in office delays the prospects of peace and the initiation of the reconciliation process in Manipur.
Echoing these sentiments, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge stated that if Prime Minister Modi genuinely cares about the state, his first course of action should be to dismiss Chief Minister N Biren Singh from his position.
