Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Imphal on Thursday for a two-day visit to violence-hit Manipur wherein he will meet people displaced by the ethnic strife in relief camps and hold talks with civil society organisations. This is the first visit of the Congress leader to the northeastern state since violence broke out on May 3. After reaching Imphal, the former Congress President is scheduled to head to Churachandpur district where he will visit relief camps.


The Congress party's official Twitter handle shared photos of its former president's arrival in Imphal.






He will then go to Moirang in Bishnupur district and interact with displaced persons, a senior Congress leader said on Wednesday, as per news agency PTI. "On Friday, Gandhi will visit relief camps in Imphal and will later hold talks with certain civil society organisations," he said.


Around 50,000 people are currently staying in over 300 relief camps across the state since ethnic strife started in May this year, PTI reported. Meanwhile, more than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.


Last week, Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government ahead of an all-party meeting on Manipur saying, "Manipur has been burning since 50 days, but the Prime Minister remained silent. An all-party meeting was called when the Prime Minister himself is not in the country! Clearly, this meeting is not important for the Prime Minister."



On Wednesday, senior Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remind Chief Minister N Biren Singh of his 'Raj Dharma'.


"Elected officials need to carry out their responsibilities," Saikia who is the Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly said in a letter to Modi, as per PTI.


"I urge you to remind the Chief Minister of Manipur, Biren Singh, to observe the principles of Raj Dharma, just as you were reminded by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji over two decades ago," the Congress leader said in the letter.


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In 2002, Vajpayee had famously asked Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat then, to maintain his 'Raj Dharma' in order to control the riots in the western state.    


Saikia stated that it was disheartening to witness political campaigns taking precedence over constitutional duties. It is crucial for elected officials to uphold their responsibilities and take necessary actions to restore peace and harmony in the region, the Congress leader said.    


Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.


Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. 


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