‘No confirmation on PM visiting Manipur in Sept 2nd week’

Imphal: Senior officials of the Manipur government on Sunday said there is no official confirmation as yet that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state, which would be his first since ethnic clashes began over two years ago, in the second week of September, as reported in a section of the media.

Manipur’s lone Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba of the BJP also said he has no information about the PM coming to the state during that time when he is scheduled to visit neighbouring Mizoram.

The Opposition parties have been criticising the Prime Minister for not visiting Manipur, where violence between Meitei and Kuki communities has left at least 260 people dead and thousands homeless since May 2023.

“No, we do not have any official confirmation from the Centre as of now that the Prime Minister will visit Manipur in the second week of September,” a senior state government official said.

A few other officials also made similar statements when contacted by news agency.

A section of the media reported that Modi is likely to combine his visit to Mizoram in September with a trip to Manipur. The PM is scheduled to arrive in Mizoram on September 12 and will inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang railway line the next day.

Responding to queries on the sidelines of a programme in Imphal, Leishemba said, “I also noticed media reports that the PM will be visiting the state in the second week of September. However, we don’t have any official confirmation regarding that as of now.”