Prime Minister NarendraModi on Saturday reached Imphal on his first visit to Manipur since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023.
Braving heavy rain, the prime minister travelled by road to Churachandpur, a Kuki dominated district, after inclement weather disrupted his scheduled helicopter journey from Aizawl.
PM Modi was received at the Imphal airport by governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and chief secretary Puneet Kumar Goel.
Security was tightened across the state for the visit, with central and state forces deployed in large numbers at key venues including Kangla Fort in Imphal and Peace Ground in Churachandpur.
During his day long visit, the prime minister laid the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 7,300 crore in Churachandpur and inaugurated projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal.
Prime Minister Modi also interacted with locals during his visit to Churachandpur.
Residents greeted him with traditional Zomie and Thadou Kuki shawls, while a young girl presented him with a portrait.
After Churachandpur, he also visited Imphal where he met people displaced due to ethnic violence and heard their grievances.
The visit comes amid criticism from opposition parties, who had accused the prime minister of not visiting Manipur since ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities erupted last year, leaving over 260 people dead and thousands displaced.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi dedicated Mizoram’s first railway line, the Bairabi Sairang express, to the nation, describing it as a “lifeline of transformation” for the state.
