Modi's Manipur visit 'too little, too late': Assam Cong

The Assam unit of Congress on Monday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Manipur as ''too little, too late''.

It also claimed that the BJP has made ''false accusations'' against Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, during the prime minister's two-day visit to the state, maintaining that the saffron party was in the ''habit of badmouthing our leaders''.

Addressing a press conference here, party MP Pradyut Bordoloi said, ''It took the prime minister more than two-and-a-half years to visit Manipur. And during that period, he visited 39 foreign countries, and some of it multiple times.'' ''We had been demanding that the prime minister visit Manipur since the strife started in May two years ago,'' he added.

Bordoloi claimed that Modi, during his visit to Assam, ''misrepresented'' facts when he accused Congress leaders of supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, launched post-Pahalgam terror attack.

''In his meeting in Mangaldai (on Sunday), Modi said that during Operation Sindoor, Congress leaders supported Pakistan. But Congress has always stood by the Indian armed forces, and it is on record. When there was a discussion on the matter in Parliament, our leader Rahul Gandhi was on record praising our armed forces. Our national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, is on record,'' the MP said. ''On the other hand, it is the son of Modi's right-hand man Amit Shah and Assam CM's close friend Devajit Saikia who consented promptly to play cricket against Pakistan in Asia Cup. It shows their hypocrisy,'' Bordoloi said, referring to ICC chairman Jay Shah and BCCI secretary Saikia. ''We urge you not to shed crocodile tears in North East now,'' he added. Bordoloi also took a swipe at BJP and Modi for referring to Nehru during the prime minister's visit to the state, which concluded on Sunday evening. Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia, also addressing the press conference, said that though the BJP is celebrating Bhupen Hazarika's birth centenary, the musical maestro sang about harmony while the saffron party ''propagates communal politics''. Bordoloi, while appreciating Modi refraining from making any political statement while participating in Hazarika's birth centenary celebration here on Saturday, pointed out that the function was shifted to a date suitable for the prime minister even though Hazarika's birthday was on September 8. He also claimed that the foundation stone for the Narangi-Kuruwa bridge over the Brahmaputra was originally laid by then CM Tarun Gogoi, with Modi laying the foundation for the second time on Sunday. ''Perhaps, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma forgot to mention it to Modi that Gogoi had already laid the foundation for the bridge,'' Bordoloi said.

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