Narendra Modi Ukraine Visit: Congress Questions Timing Amid Manipur Crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Ukraine, scheduled to coincide with the war-torn country's National Day on August 24, has drawn sharp criticism from Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh. He questioned whether the prime minister would address the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur before or after his trip to Europe.

Ramesh pointed out that the Chief Minister of Manipur recently attended a NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi, chaired by the "self-anointed non-biological PM," a sarcastic jab at Modi. Following this, the Manipur CM attended a meeting of BJP CMs and Deputy CMs, also presided over by Modi.

"The simple question that the people of Manipur are asking is this: Did Shri N. Biren Singh meet with Shri Narendra Modi one-on-one and discuss the situation in Manipur, which started burning on the night of May 3rd, 2023? Did Shri N Biren Singh invite Shri Narendra Modi to visit Manipur, either before or after his trip to Ukraine?" Ramesh asked.

The Congress party has repeatedly criticized PM Modi for not visiting Manipur, where conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities continues to cause unrest. Despite the ongoing crisis, the BJP, led by PM Modi, governs the state.

If the Ukraine visit goes ahead, it would be Modi's first visit to the country since it was attacked by Russia in February 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky was among the world leaders who congratulated Modi after he won a third consecutive term in office in June. However, Modi's first bilateral visit of his third term was to Russia, which Zelensky described as a 'devastating blow to peace efforts.'

The West has criticized India for continuing to purchase oil from Russia despite the Ukraine war, and India has consistently abstained from voting on resolutions against Russia in the United Nations.

As debate over Modi's priorities continues, the question remains: will the prime minister address the domestic turmoil in Manipur before embarking on his international engagements? The Congress party is pressing for answers, highlighting the need to resolve the crisis at home before turning attention abroad.