Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Aug 9: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his first speech in Parliament after he was reinstated as an MP, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday over the Manipur violence and said the government “divided” the northeastern state into two parts, reports India Today.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion debate on the Manipur issue, Rahul Gandhi said while he visited the strife-torn state, the Prime Minister did not do so.
“A few days back, I went to Manipur. Our Prime Minister didn’t go, not even to this day, because for him Manipur is not India,” he said.
The Manipur violence has been a prominent issue in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, where House proceedings have been frequently disrupted. The Opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha, demanding a statement from PM Modi on the Manipur violence.
More than 160 people have died since ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities broke out in the northeastern state.
Terming the Modi government as “traitors”, Rahul Gandhi said they were not “nationalists” as “India was murdered” in Manipur.
“They killed India in Manipur. Not just Manipur, but they killed India. Their politics has not killed Manipur, but it has killed India in Manipur. They have murdered India in Manipur,” he said.
He likened PM Modi to ‘raavan’ and said he was “arrogant” since he was not listening to the voice of the people.
Invoking the epic Ramayana, Rahul Gandhi said, “Lanka was not set on fire by Lord Hanuman but by Raavan’s arrogance. Ravan was not killed by Ram but by his arrogance.”
“You are doing the same thing in Haryana as well,” he said, referring to the communal clashes in the state which claimed six lives.
Rahul Gandhi asserted that the Indian Army can restore peace in Manipur in one day but alleged that the government was not using its services.
As Rahul Gandhi was speaking, several BJP members interrupted his speech and raised slogans. Union Ministers, including Kiren Rijiju and Smriti Irani, hit back at the Congress leader and demanded an apology for his remarks on Manipur.
Earlier, while beginning his speech, Rahul Gandhi thanked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for reinstating him as an MP. The Congress leader got back his parliamentary membership after the Supreme Court paused his conviction in the 2019 Modi surname case.
He also said he would not speak on the Adani issue and that his “BJP friends” should not be scared.
“Speaker Sir, first of all, I would like to thank you for reinstating me as an MP of the Lok Sabha. When I spoke the last time, perhaps I caused you trouble because I focussed on Adani — maybe your senior leader was pained…That pain might have had an impact on you as well. I apologise to you for that. But I spoke the truth,” the Congress leader said.
“Today, my friends in BJP need not be scared because my speech today is not on Adani…” he further said. (Courtesy: India Today)
