Rahul Gandhi likely to visit Manipur on July 8: Congress

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Manipur on July 8, sources from the party said. He is expected to visit relief camps and also meet Manipur Congress leaders during his visit to the state.

Gandhi is expected to go to places including Moirang and Churachandpur on the same day, and interact with the internally displaced people who are taking refuge in relief camps, as per sources.

This year, Rahul Gandhi commenced the party's mass outreach programme, Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, from Manipur's Thoubal. The yatra covered a distance of more than 6,700 km across 15 states from Manipur to Mumbai.

Earlier at a rally in Manipur this year, Rahul Gandhi came down heavily on the BJP over the recent ethnic clashes in the state that claimed over 200 lives.

The ethnic clash between the Kuki and Meitei communities in the state began in May 2023, and the months-long violence has claimed over 220 lives.

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The Congress MP said Manipur is an example of BJP's "politics of hatred" and said, "Maybe for Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS, the state is not part of India".

"After June 29, Manipur wasn't Manipur anymore. It got divided and hatred was spread everywhere. Lakhs of people suffered losses. People lost their loved ones in front of their eyes. And till now, the Prime Minister has not come here to wipe your tears and hold your hands. It is a shameful thing. Maybe for PM Modi, BJP and RSS, Manipur is not a part of India," he said.

Gandhi might leave for Nagaland on the same day itself.