The Congress on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur. This comes after Chief Minister N BIren Singh apologised for ethnic violence in the state, which rages on since May 2023. 

Taking to social media platform X, Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh questioned why can’t PM Narendra Modi go there and do the same even though he travels across the country and the world.

The senior Congress leader questioned why can’t the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there. Jairam Ramesh added that PM Narendra Modi has deliberately avoided visiting the state since May 4, 2023, even as he jets around the country and the world. He concluded that the people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect.

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologized to the people of the northeastern states for the ethnic clashes that have been occurring since May 2023. He also appealed to the people of the state to forgive and forget the past. He further added that the year ends on an optimistic note and hoped that normalcy will return to Manipur in 2025. 

While addressing a press conference in Imphal, CM Biren Singh said that this entire year has been very unfortunate, and that he wants to say sorry to the people of the state for what’s happening till today since last May 3. The Chief Minister asserted that many people lost their loved ones, and many people left their homes. He also remarked that after seeing the last three to four months progress towards peace, he believes that by 2025, normalcy will be restored in the state. 

He further appealed to all communities in the state, that whatever has happened, has happened, and they have to forget and forgive the past mistakes to start a new life towards a peaceful and prosperous Manipur.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday visited Prayagraj for the fifth time in December to review preparation for the Mahakumbh Mela 2025. 

The Chief Minister during his visit also inaugurated the Bio-CNG plant built in the Naini area of the city. He also inspected the key locations such as the Sangam Erawat Ghat, Sangam Noj Ghat, and the newly constructed steel bridge parallel to the Ganga Setu.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a review meeting at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) Auditorium in the Prayagraj Mela Authority to review the preparations for the Mahakumbh event. Reports said, he will also inspect the steel bridge built parallel to the Ganga Setu while doing a ground inspection of various routes.

Notably, Yogi Adityanath has already extended an invitation for the Mahakumbh 2025 to President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and other dignitaries to attend the event. The Mahakumbh is held once every 12 years, and is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26, 2025, in Prayagraj.

Shahi Snan, the main bathing festival, will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami). The Uttar Pradesh Police will also use underwater drones for enhanced security as a part of preparation for Mahakumbh Mela 2025.

Reportedly, the Maha Kumbh 2025 will showcase a vibrant display of India’s cultural diversity from January 10 to February 24. Furthermore, the Uttar Pradesh Culture Department is finalising preparations to present the rich folk arts of India during this period, a press release stated.

The Culture Department will set up 20 small stages at major locations across Prayagraj, allowing tourists, devotees, and locals to experience the country’s diverse cultural heritage over 45 days. The folk dance forms from various states across India will be performed on these stages.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday apologized to the people of the northeastern states for the ethnic clashes that have been occurring since May 2023. He also appealed to the people of the state to forgive and forget the past. He added that the year ends on an optimistic note and hoped that normalcy will return to Manipur in 2025. 

Addressing a press conference in Imphal, CM Biren Singh said that this entire year has been very unfortunate, and that he wants to say sorry to the people of the state for what’s happening till today since last May 3. He asserted that many people lost their loved ones, and many people left their homes. He further remarked that after seeing the last three to four months progress towards peace, he believes that by 2025, normalcy will be restored in the state. 

The Chief Minister also appealed to all communities in the state, that whatever has happened, has happened, and they have to forget and forgive the past mistakes to start a new life towards a peaceful and prosperous Manipur. He mentioned that peace is being restored in the northeastern state, and the only solution lies in discussion and dialogue, which the Central government has already initiated.

CM Biren Singh asserted that 2,058 displaced families have been resettled in their original homes in Imphal West, Imphal East, Kangpokpi, and Churachandpur. In order to curb violence along the national highways, the government has deployed 17 and 18 additional companies of security personnel along NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH-37 (Imphal-Silchar via Jiribam), respectively.

He further mentioned that of the 6,000 arms, ammunition, and explosives looted from state armouries, more than 3,000 arms have been recovered. He added that 625 miscreants have been arrested, and 12,247 FIRs have been registered.

He announced that the Dearness Allowance (DA) for Manipur government employees would be increased from 32 per cent to 39 per cent. He also emphasized that the government, under various schemes, was prioritising assistance to displaced people affected by the violence.

He stated that in the education sector, the government will begin awarding dedicated teachers in three categories: primary, graduate teacher, and lecturer. The awardees will benefit from double annual increments, he continued.

The Manipur government will also launch Alliance Air services at affordable rates not exceeding Rs 5,000. He said that if airfares exceed Rs 5,000, the Manipur government will provide subsidies to passengers. The air service will operate twice a week on the Imphal-Guwahati, Imphal-Kolkata, and Imphal-Dimapur routes.

Mentioning that Manipur was grappling with the issue of population influx, Biren Singh said Aadhaar-linked birth registration would be introduced from January 2025.

He stated that in the first phase, this initiative will be implemented in three districts. Birth registration will be made mandatory, and updates will be required every five years. This initiative was taken after discovering a 420 per cent population increase in the electoral roll in some districts of Manipur, he mentioned.

The Chief Minister also said the government had ramped up efforts to identify illegal migrants entering the state without the required Inner Line Permit.