New Delhi, Dec 31: After Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday apologised for the ethnic conflict in the state, the Congress asked why can't Prime Minister Narendra Modi go there and do the same even though he travels across the country and the world.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the people of Manipur cannot understand their neglect by the prime minister, whom he accused of deliberately avoiding a visit to Manipur.

"Why can't the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there? He has deliberately avoided visiting the state since May 4, 2023, even as he jets around the country and the world," Ramesh said in his post.

"The people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect," he said.

His comments came hours after Biren Singh apologised for the ethnic conflict in Manipur, which claimed over 250 lives and rendered thousands homeless since May 2023, appealing to all communities to forget and forgive past mistakes and live together in a "peaceful" and "prosperous" state.

"I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise. But after seeing relative peace in the last three-four months, I hope that normalcy will be restored in the coming year.

"Whatever happened has happened... I want to appeal to all communities to forgive and forget our past mistakes and start life afresh by living together in a peaceful and prosperous Manipur," Singh said in Imphal.

The chief minister also claimed that firing incidents have declined in the state over the past 20 months since the ethnic conflict broke out in May 2023.

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Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.

The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.

The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.

“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.

“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.

Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.

Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.

“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.