‘Manipur before or after Ukraine?’: Congress takes swipe at PM Modi for potential visit to war-torn European nation | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Amid reports of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s potential visit to Ukraine next month, the Congress party questioned whether the ongoing violence in Manipur was discussed in the meeting between Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh and PM Modi and whether Biren Singh had invited PM Modi to visit the troubled state before or after his potential trip to Ukraine.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, voiced these concerns on Sunday. “Did Shri N. Biren Singh meet with Shri Narendra Modi separately one-on-one and discuss the situation in Manipur, which started burning on the night of May 3rd, 2023?” Ramesh asked.

Manipur CM Biren Singh attended two significant meetings chaired by PM Modi on Saturday, the Niti Aayog meeting and a gathering of BJP chief ministers and deputy chief ministers.
Since May 2023, Manipur has been facing violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, resulting in the loss of around 200 lives and the displacement of thousands.
Amid this turmoil, CM Biren Singh reaffirmed his commitment to the nation, pointing to the strengthening of the BJP and upholding its core values and ideology. He also participated in the ninth Niti Aayog governing council meeting, which aimed to accelerate national progress and tackle regional challenges.
This comes amidst reports that PM Modi may visit Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, next month to engage in discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The proposed visit is being considered in the context of renewed global efforts to find a resolution to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
The trip is tentatively planned around Ukraine’s National Day on August 24, and PM Modi may also include a stop in Poland as part of a two-nation tour. If the visit takes place, it would be Modi’s first trip to Ukraine and the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in nearly 45 years.
The potential visit to Kyiv is viewed as an attempt by New Delhi to balance its international relations, especially in light of Western criticism of Modi’s recent trip to Moscow.