Guwahati: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Assam and not the neighbouring state of Manipur. He did so by symbolically “booking” a ticket for the Prime Minister from Guwahati to Imphal.
In a post on X, Khera said Manipur should not be “abandoned” at a time when the state has witnessed unrest since 2023. He argued that the Prime Minister’s presence could reassure people in the violence-hit state.
“Dear PM Narendra Modi, we understand that poll-bound states are always your top priority. But Manipur should not be abandoned. The state has been burning since 2023 and it is burning again,” Khera wrote.
Noting that the Prime Minister was in Assam, he said Manipur was “just an hour away” and urged him to extend his visit to Imphal. In a sarcastic gesture, Khera also shared what he claimed were flight tickets from Guwahati to Imphal. He urged the Prime Minister to “show that the PM cares.”
Khera’s appeal came amid renewed tension in parts of Manipur. On February 6, protests against the swearing-in of the state’s new deputy chief ministers, Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho, turned violent in Churachandpur district. Security forces clashed with demonstrators.
Police said unrest broke out around 6 pm in the Tuibong Main Market area. A large group of young protesters tried to push security personnel back to their barracks. Earlier in the week, miscreants set fire to several houses in villages around Litan in Ukhrul district, officials said.
According to Manipur Police, the situation in the affected areas remains tense but largely under control. Authorities have set up a joint control room at the Litan police station to coordinate security measures. Senior officers are camping in the area to monitor developments. Police said the overall law-and-order situation across the state remained normal over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, PM Modi made a historic landing at the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) aboard a C-130J aircraft in Dibrugarh district. After arriving at the Chabua Air Force Station, he took off and landed at the ELF in Moran on a stretch of National Highway-37.
The ?100-crore ELF is a 4.2-km reinforced stretch on the Moran Bypass. The Prime Minister inaugurated the facility. Officials said it will serve as a strategic and multi-functional runway for Indian Air Force fighter jets and transport aircraft. The facility will strengthen defence, logistics and disaster response. It will also function as an alternative to the Dibrugarh airport during emergencies.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and other Assam cabinet ministers received the Prime Minister at the site.