Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Manipur since the outbreak of ethnic clashes in 2023 sparked widespread protests in Imphal on Saturday, with opposition parties and local youth groups calling the trip “insensitive” and “politically motivated.”

Heavy security was deployed around the historic Kangla Fort the site of the Prime Minister’s public address and launch of infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,200 crore as tensions escalated near the Congress Bhavan and surrounding areas.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi travelled to the Kuki-Zo-dominated district of Churachandpur, where he met people displaced by the violence and urged conflicting communities to pursue peace. “I would appeal to all organisations to move forward on the path of peace… I am with you, the government is with the people of Manipur,” the Prime Minister said during a public gathering.

Kharge Slams PM Modi

However, the visit drew sharp criticism from the opposition, which accused the Prime Minister of ignoring the crisis for over two years. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned Modi’s silence, saying, “864 days of violence: 300 lives lost, 67,000 displaced, 1,500+ injured. You made 46 foreign trips since, but not a single visit to share two words of sympathy with your own citizens. Your last visit to Manipur? January 2022 — for elections!”

Outside the Manipur Congress Bhavan, members of the party’s youth wing assembled with placards and a portrait portraying a “burning Manipur,” intending to march to Kangla Fort. Police quickly intervened, detaining several workers and confining others inside the party office to prevent them from reaching the event venue.

The protesters called Prime Minister Modi the “most merciless Prime Minister of India” and labelled Home Minister Amit Shah as the “most merciless Home Minister.” They accused the BJP-led government of remaining indifferent throughout the prolonged violence, which has devastated communities across the state.

Priyanka Gandhi Criticizes PM’s Delayed Visit

Adding to the criticism, Priyanka Gandhi voiced her disapproval of the delayed visit, stating, “He should have visited long before. It is very unfortunate that he has allowed what is happening there to happen for so long, so many people to get killed and so many people to go through so much strife before he decided to visit.”

The protest wasn’t limited to the Congress party. Activists from the Manipur Peoples’ Party Youth Front also gathered near the Prime Minister’s programme venue. They raised slogans and displayed posters criticising the visit as an election-focused gimmick, not a sincere step towards healing or reconciliation. Their office is located close to Kangla Fort, making the protest highly visible.

With Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigning earlier this year amid unrelenting violence, Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13. While the violence has somewhat decreased in intensity, the state remains fractured along ethnic lines, with over 260 people killed and tens of thousands displaced.

The central government has positioned the visit as a show of solidarity and an effort to fast-track development and stability in the region. But to many in Manipur, the sudden appearance of the Prime Minister nearly two years after the conflict erupted is seen as too little, too late.