PM Modi also inaugurated a Hindu temple in the UAE.The delicate situation in Manipur, marked by a year of turmoil and violence, stands as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the region. Despite that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not visited the crisis-hit state even once. Over the past year, while Manipur grappled with violence resulting in the loss of over 230 lives and displacement of over 60,000, the Prime Minister’s itinerary has been marked by numerous across the country and abroad.
PM Modi has undertaken 162 official and non-official visits to various states within India and 14 official trips abroad when Manipur was burning. Importantly, no action has been taken against Chief Minister N Biren Singh or any other minister of this BJP-ruled state.
Criticism has been directed at the Prime Minister’s absence from Manipur, particularly as opposition leaders made a point to visit and assess the situation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the state last year and started his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra this year from Manipur as well.
Data compiled by BBC Hindi using information from the PMO’s website shows that between May 2023 and April 2024, PM Modi visited Rajasthan two dozen times. He also visited Madhya Pradesh 22 times. The two states saw Assembly elections last November, and PM Modi campaigned extensively for his party here.
When the violence peaked in Manipur, PM Modi was busy campaigning for Assembly elections in Karnataka. As per the BBC data, he visited Karnataka eight times in the last one year. He also visited his home state of Gujarat 10 times and Uttar Pradesh 17 times during this period.
In February-March this year, PM Modi visited the Northeastern states of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, but skipped Manipur. He visited Assam thrice and Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh once during this time. According to official records, PM Modi was in Arunachal Pradesh on March 9 for the ‘Developed India, Developed North-East’ programme.
During the Assembly elections in five states last year, PM Modi went to all other states voting for new governments, but did not go to Mizoram, the state next to Manipur which hosts a large number of people of Kuki-Zo community displaced by Manipur’s violence.
Apart from domestic visits, PM Modi has also made 14 international trips since May 2023. This includes a visit to inaugurate a Hindu temple in the UAE.