PM Narendra Modi visits Manipur today after criticism, to meet displaced people, launch projects, and address rallies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Mizoram and Manipur on Saturday, September 13. This is his first trip to Manipur since the outbreak of ethnic violence in 2023. The visit comes after criticism from opposition parties. Modi will meet internally displaced people, address rallies, and launch major projects in both states. Here are the ten key developments.
This marks Modi’s first trip to Manipur after the 2023 ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities, which left over 260 people dead and thousands homeless.
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The Prime Minister will begin his tour in Mizoram. He will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects worth more than ₹9,000 crore in Aizawl.
Among Mizoram’s projects, Modi will inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang New Rail line. This connects Mizoram to the Indian Rail network for the first time.
At around 12:30 p.m., Modi will reach Churachandpur in Manipur. He will lay the foundation stone of development projects worth over ₹7,300 crore.
Major schemes include the ₹3,647 crore drainage and asset management improvement project and the ₹550 crore Manipur Infotech Development (MIND) project.
In Imphal, Modi will inaugurate development projects worth over ₹1,200 crore and these include the new Manipur Police headquarters at ₹101 crore and a civil secretariat at ₹538 crore.
The Prime Minister will interact with internally displaced persons in Churachandpur and Imphal. He will also address two rallies in the state.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February, following the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh.
Congress leaders called the visit “symbolic” and a “farce”. Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Modi would spend less than three hours in Manipur.
While Congress criticized the trip, Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba called it “very fortunate”. Kuki-Zo groups also welcomed the visit as a “historic and rare occasion”.
The Manipur administration issued strict advisories ahead of the PM’s arrival. Attendees cannot carry keys, pens, bags, umbrellas, sharp objects, or water bottles. People were asked not to bring children under 12 or sick persons to the venue. The state also banned air guns in Churachandpur to ensure safety.
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The opposition strongly questioned the timing and intent of Modi’s visit. Congress said the trip will not heal the wounds of ethnic violence. Local leaders remained divided. Manipur Congress chief Keisham Meghachandra called it “merely symbolic,” while Kuki-Zo groups hailed it as “historic.” Sanajaoba, the state’s lone Rajya Sabha MP, expressed optimism that the visit would bring hope to the people.
