Congress welcomes SC judges' decision to visit Manipur, slams PM Modi for not going to violence-hit state

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday welcomed the decision of six judges of the Supreme Court to visit Manipur and slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the troubled state.

Justice B R Gavai and five other Supreme Court judges would visit the relief camps in ethnic violence-hit Manipur on March 22, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has said.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said his party welcomes the decision.

Speaking to PTI, he recalled that in August 2023, the Supreme Court said that there was an absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery in the northeastern state.

Slamming the government, Ramesh questioned Modi's "silence" on Manipur. "He goes around the world, goes to Assam, elsewhere, but doesn't go to Manipur even as people of the state continue to wait and wait and wait for his visit," the Congress leader said.

Over 200 people were killed, several hundred injured and thousands displaced since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, 2023, when a "tribal solidarity march" was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for scheduled tribe status.

NALSA said Justice Gavai, also its executive chairman, along with Supreme Court justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, M M Sundresh, K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh would visit relief camps on the occasion of the duodecennial celebrations of the Manipur High Court.

"Nearly two years after the devastating sectarian violence of May 3, 2023, which led to the loss of hundreds of lives and displaced over 50,000 people, many continue to seek refuge in relief camps across Manipur," NALSA said in its March 17 press release.

The judges' visit highlights the ongoing need for legal and humanitarian assistance to these affected communities, it added.

NALSA that said during the visit, Justice Gavai would virtually inaugurate legal service camps and medical camps across the state besides new legal aid clinics in Imphal East, Imphal West and Ukhrul districts.

According to NALSA, essential relief materials would be distributed to the internally displaced persons.