Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his alleged absence and indifference towards the violence in Manipur. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Kharge said that the PM has “time for photo sessions but not to visit Manipur”.

Kharge’s comments come in view of Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep on January 2 where he inaugurated several developmental projects. After his visit, PM Modi shared pictures of him going snorkelling to explore the undersea life and taking early morning walks on the pristine beaches of the union territory. In one of the pictures, he was also seen sitting on a chair by the beach.

“Unfortunate incidents took place in Manipur…PM Modi either went to the beach, had a photo session swimming, went for photos at the ongoing temple construction site, or went to Kerala and Mumbai. He goes everywhere, you can see his photos everywhere…Just like the ‘darshan’ of God first thing after waking up. But why did this great man not go to Manipur?” Kharge questioned.

Reacting to this, BJP leader and union minister Giriraj Singh hit back at Kharge saying the Congress has done nothing but spread confusion across the country. “They did political tourism by going to Manipur. Union Home Minister and Prime Minister are resolving the issues in Manipur. During their (Congress) regime, Manipur burned for 6 years. We have brought this under control. They should not confuse people,” he said.

Incidents of violence in Manipur have been on the rise since May 3 last year when clashes broke out during a ‘tribal solidarity march’ in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. According to reports, over 180 people have been killed in the clashes, while several hundred have been injured. Thousands of people have also been displaced in the northeastern state.

Kharge’s attack on Centre

Meanwhile, Kharge continued his attack on the central government over the new labour laws and criminal laws, saying they are “signs of dictatorship”. On the ongoing Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) searches in several locations, Kharge said, “BJP is blatantly misusing agencies such as ED, IT dept to threaten opposition leaders.”

(With inputs from agencies)