Reacting sharply to the Union Budget 2026, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee President K. Meghachandra Singh on Saturday said the budget reflects a “deafening silence” from the Centre on Manipur’s ongoing crisis.

He stated that despite three years of unrest, large-scale displacement and thousands of families still struggling to return home, the budget failed to address Manipur’s situation in any meaningful way.

Meghachandra questioned the absence of provisions for a Special Crisis-Affected State status, a Peace and Reconciliation Fund, and a clear political roadmap to restore normalcy in the state.

Criticising infrastructure-focused announcements, he said that allocating funds for roads holds little value when people remain afraid to travel due to insecurity. He stressed that development cannot substitute peace, security and healing for affected communities.

Pointing out that over 60,000 people continue to live in relief camps, the Congress leader said celebrating “Viksit Bharat” while ignoring Manipur’s humanitarian crisis amounts to abandonment rather than governance. He asserted that Manipur is not seeking sympathy but demanding justice, priority and concrete action, and called on the Centre to present a clear roadmap to peace instead of “numbers on paper.”