“Non-biological PM goes to Moscow, LoP Lok Sabha heads for Assam and Manipur..”: Congress slams PM Modi over Rahul Gandhi’s North East visit, BJP hits back

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Monday visited Assam and met with those affected by severe floods. In Assam, nearly 23 lakh people across 28 districts have been impacted by floods caused by relentless rainfall. The death toll from floods, landslides, and storms this year has reached 78, with 66 casualties attributed to the floods alone. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is scheduled to visit Manipur and meet with the people affected by the ongoing ethnic violence in the state. A political slugfest ensued between Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Rae Bareli MP’s North East visit, pitted against PM Modi’s visit to Russia.

Gandhi's first stop was at a relief camp in Fulertal's Thalai in Youth Care Center, Cachar district, where he interacted with flood-affected residents. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) presented him with a memorandum, urging parliamentary intervention on the perennial issue of floods in Assam. Gandhi's arrival in Silchar, Assam, was marked by accolades from local Congress leaders before he proceeded to engage with flood survivors in Fulertal. This marks his inaugural visit to the Northeast since assuming the role of Leader of the Opposition.

From there, Gandhi proceeded to Manipur, where he is scheduled to address the fallout from ethnic violence in the region. The visit to Manipur follows over a year of conflict, resulting in over 200 fatalities.

Meanwhile, a war of words ensued between BJP and Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the Northeastern state. “Today, the non-biological PM goes to Moscow while the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha heads for Assam and Manipur. Of course, the drumbeaters of the non-biological PM have claimed that he stopped the Russia-Ukraine war for some time. Presumably, this Moscow trip will lead to even more bizarre claims. This is Rahul Gandhi's third visit to Manipur ever since the state blew up fourteen months ago. The non-biological PM has not found the time nor even had the inclination to visit Manipur even for a few hours after the grave crisis erupted on May 3rd, 2023. He has not even met the CM of the state - who happens to be from his own party - and other political leaders of the state including MLAs and MPs,” said Jairam Ramesh hitting out at PM Modi over his visit to Russia.

In response, BJP's Amit Malviya accused Gandhi of exploiting tragic situations for political gain, attributing the violence in Manipur to Congress's historical governance. Malviya tweeted, "Forget the Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi, did any Congress leader, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam, visit the strife-torn region."