Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday  reached Churachandpur, one of the worst-hit districts in the Manipur ethnic violence.

On his way, Gandhi's convoy was stopped by the police at Bishnupur, 20 kilometres from Imphal, fearing violence.

The Congress leader then took a helicopter instead of travelling to Churachandpur by road.

Reportedly, Gandhi was stopped midway as there was a big group of women protesters ahead of his convoy.

"We fear repetition of such events and hence as a precaution, requested the convoy to halt at Bishnupur," a police officer said.

However, according to the Congress sources the women were protesting against the police for stopping Rahul Gandhi and his convoy and did not want him to turn back.

The women apparently wanted him to visit Churachandpur as well as their village.  

"He visited Manipur to know what the people of the state are going through. He didn't come here to do politics. Why are they blocking his road," said one of the protesting women.

"Nothing is going to happen with violence - there is an appeal to the people of the state that we need to move towards peace. To unite Manipur, for peace, I am ready to help!," the Congress leader said in a tweet.

While the BJP national spokesperson and Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra criticized Gandhi's decision to go by road, calling it to be an irresponsible behaviour of Rahul Gandhi.

As per reports, while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, Patra said the local administration had asked the Congress leader to visit Churachandpur in a chopper in view of the prevailing situation in the state, but Gandhi refused and went on to visit the area by road.

Gandhi who was on a two-day trip to Manipur visited relief camps in Churachandpur district on June 29 and in Moirang town in Bishnupur district on the next day, June 30 where he interacted with the people in the camps.

Gandhi's visit was appreciated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president in Manipur Adhikarimayum Sharda but at the same time, she asked not to politicised the issue.

“In the current situation, I appreciate Rahul Gandhi's visit to the state. However, the focus should be on solving the situation and bringing back peace. The issue should not be politicised,” Devi told news agency ANI.

While the BJP state president appreciated Gandhi’s visit, the central leaders of BJP slammed at the former Congress President for visiting Manipur.

BJP IT cell Chief Amit Malviya on Thursday said, “Rahul Gandhi is not a messiah of peace, just a political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling.”

He said, “Not once did Rahul Gandhi visit Churachandpur in Manipur between 2015-17, to meet the victims of ethnic violence, that raged following Congress CM Okram Ibobi Singh government’s decision to pass three bills – the Protection of Manipur People’s Bill, 2015; Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015; and Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, which were seen by the people of Churachandpur district, comprising mostly of Paites and Kukis, as ‘anti-tribal’, and a ‘conspiracy’ by the majority Meitei community to grab Tribal land.”

On May 3, a peaceful rally was organised by All Tribal Students Union Manipur (ATSUM) condemning the Scheduled Tribe status demand by the majority Meitei community of the state which is when violence broke out in the Torbung area of Churachandpur district.

According to social media posts, the Meitei community started the violence demolishing the tribal’s houses, vehicles which resulted in clashes between the tribals and the Meitei community and displaced over 9,000 people from their villages.