Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday downplayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his upcoming visit to Manipur, which has been gripped by ethnic violence for the last two years, as a no “big deal”.
The Congress leader said that the Northeastern state has been reeling under trouble for a long time, and the Prime Minister’s visit to the state now does not count for much.
He also added that the main issue now is that of “vote chori” (vote theft).
“Manipur has been in trouble for a long time, and the PM has decided to go there now. So that’s not a big deal. The main issue today in India is ‘vote chori’ (vote theft),” Gandhi said while speaking to reporters outside Keshod airport in Gujarat’s Junagadh district.
#WATCH | Junagadh, Gujarat: On PM Modi likely to visit Manipur, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “The issue in Manipur has been ongoing for a long time. It is good that he is going there now. But the main issue in the country is that of ‘Vote Chori’. The election… pic.twitter.com/1zJBJcbhAh
— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2025
“They stole the elections of Haryana and Maharashtra. We proved that in Karnataka recently. So, the main issue is vote theft. Everywhere people are raising ‘vote chor’ (vote thief) slogan,” said the Raebareli MP.
Gandhi reached Junagadh earlier in the day, where he is scheduled to address district and city unit presidents of the Congress in Gujarat and interact with senior leaders.
PM Modi’s Manipur Visit
PM Modi will visit Manipur on Saturday and interact with internally displaced people in the state capital, Imphal and Churachandpur. This will be Modi’s first visit to the state after ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, 2023.
He will also lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Churachandpur and address a pubic meeting.
Additionally, he will inaugurate various projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore at Imphal and address a public function.
Modi will be on a whirlwind two-day tour of five states from September 13 to 15, including Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar.