Ex-CM Ibobi Singh terms PM Modi’s proposed Manipur visit a “gimmick”

Imphal, Sept 10: Former Manipur Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Okram Ibobi Singh has termed the much-anticipated visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Manipur as a “gimmick”. The Prime Minister is likely to visit the trouble-torn State on September 13 during his scheduled tour to Assam and Mizoram.

Addressing media persons on Monday, Ibobi Singh said, “The Prime Minister seems to believe that he can pacify Manipur with a cursory 2-3 hours’ visit. But the people cannot tolerate gestures without action.”

He added that Manipur seems to have been added as an afterthought in the Prime Minister’s itinerary, with more priority given to Mizoram and Assam. “This is not a mission, it looks like a tour,” he remarked.

The former Chief Minister also accused Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla of reducing the Raj Bhavan to a “partisan platform” by holding a meeting exclusively with BJP legislators.

“The Governor’s selective meeting is a shocking display of partisanship. If the discussion was really about the violence, why were the Opposition MLAs left out? The Raj Bhavan must remain above politics,” Ibobi said.

Ibobi Singh, also the Leader of Opposition, stated that such exclusionary politics deepens the trust deficit at a time when Manipur is reeling under bloodshed and displacement.

Ibobi also hit out at the Centre and the State Government for what he called their mishandling of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement signed with Kuki militant groups. He claimed that successive BJP-led governments ignored repeated violation of ground rules.

“Even after the former State Government passed resolutions for abrogation of the SoO for the two militant groups, the Centre failed to act. That left local communities exposed, while militants operated freely,” he alleged.

The press conference was attended by AICC CWC member Gaikhangam, MLAs Lokeshwar and Surjakumar, former MLA Loken, and other senior Congress leaders.