Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday downplayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Manipur, describing it as “no big deal.”

Speaking to reporters outside Keshod airport in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, Gandhi emphasized that the Northeastern state has been facing ethnic unrest for over two years, and the Prime Minister’s visit at this stage does not address the core concerns of the people.

He further shifted focus to what he called the main issue in India today: “vote chori” or vote theft. “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) slogans,” Gandhi asserted.

Gandhi had arrived in Junagadh earlier in the day to address district and city unit presidents of the Congress in Gujarat and meet with senior leaders. Meanwhile, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Manipur on Saturday, where he will interact with internally displaced people in Imphal and Churachandpur.

This will be his first visit to the state following the ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities that began on May 3, 2023. During his visit, Modi is set to lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore in Churachandpur and address a public meeting.

Additionally, he will inaugurate projects totaling more than Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal and participate in a public function. The Prime Minister’s two-day tour, running from September 13 to 15, will also include visits to Mizoram, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar.