"PM's 3-hour Manipur visit an insult to people," says Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): Congress General Secretary in-Charge Communications Jairam Ramesh on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Manipur on September 13, calling it an insult to the people of the state.
In a post on X, the Congress MP shared a newspaper clipping about preparations for the visit and said it appeared that the prime minister would spend only three hours in Manipur.
"The proposed visit of the Prime Minister to Manipur on Sept 13 is being hailed by his cheerleaders. But it appears that he will be spending just about 3 hours--yes, just 3 hours--in the state. What does he hope to accomplish by such a rushed trip?" Jairam Ramesh wrote.

The proposed visit of the Prime Minister to Manipur on Sept 13 is being hailed by his cheerleaders.

But it appears that he will be spending just about 3 hours--yes just 3 hours--in the state. What does he hope to accomplish by such a rushed trip? This is actually an insult to… pic.twitter.com/Yvbd5MXH8q

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 7, 2025

He further said, "This is actually an insult to the people of the state who have waited for him for 29 long and agonising months. Sept 13th will actually be a non-visit by the PM, who has once again revealed his callousness and insensitivity towards the people of Manipur."
Earlier on Thursday, the Congress MP had also questioned the role of the GST Council, asking whether it was being reduced to a "formality."
He pointed out that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced major tax measures after the council's meeting, even though the Prime Minister had already disclosed the substance of these decisions in his Independence Day speech.
"The Union Finance Minister has made major announcements last evening after the meeting of the GST Council, which is a constitutional body. However, even before the GST Council meeting, the Prime Minister had already proclaimed the substance of its decisions in his Independence Day speech of August 15th, 2025. Is the GST Council to be reduced to a formality?" Jairam Ramesh wrote on 'X'.
He stressed that the Congress party had been advocating reforms in the GST for a long time, which would reduce prices and tax cuts on a lot of large consumption items. He noted that the reforms would place a compliance burden on MSMEs and expand GST coverage.
"The Indian National Congress has for long been advocating for a GST 2.0 that reduces the number of rates, cuts the rates on a large number of items of mass consumption, minimises evasion, mis-classification, and disputes, does away with inverted duty structure (lower tax on output as compared to inputs), eases the compliance burden on MSMEs, and expands GST coverage," he added. (ANI)