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‘Manipur is not India for our PM’: Rahul Gandhi slams Modi, Centre in Parliament
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, Gandhi alleged that the “BJP has murdered India in Manipur and is now trying to set Haryana on fire”
Congress leader and reinstated Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In his first speech, Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Manipur situation and accused him of “not listening to the voice of people”.
Targeting PM Modi and the Centre in the Parliament, Gandhi said that their arrogance is burning the country “like the arrogance of Ravana got Lanka burned”.
He accused the PM Modi-led government of dividing Manipur, “Our prime minister has not visited Manipur even once. For him, Manipur is not India. Mother India has died in Manipur,” he alleged.
Addressing the Lower House during the debate on the no-confidence motion, the Congress leader came down heavily on the Centre and PM Modi over Manipur violence and the recent Haryana clashes.
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, Gandhi alleged that the “BJP has murdered India in Manipur and is now trying to set Haryana on fire”.
“You have set the entire country on fire. BJP is throwing kerosene across the country,” he alleged.
Gandhi further recalled his experience of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and how he started listening to the voice of the people. Drawing a parallel with the situation in Manipur, Gandhi said, “If Modi doesn’t listen to the voice of Hindustan, who does he listen to? He listens to only two people. Ravan only listened to two people: Meghnad and Kumbhakaran. Similarly, Modi also listens to only Amit Shah and Adani.”
Gandhi added that he has two mothers. “One (Sonia Gandhi) is sitting here. Hindustan is also my mother. You have killed my mother,” Gandhi said.
“You have killed the people of Manipur and thereby killed Bharat Maa. Indian army can bring peace in Manipur in one day but you are not using them. You want our soldiers to die,” he alleged.
Gandhi’s speech got a sharp rebuttal from Union minister Smriti Irani who blasted the Opposition for talking about the death of Mother India for the first time in the history of the Lok Sabha and added that the Congress’ character has been exposed as they were clapping when Rahul Gandhi said mother India has been killed.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla repeatedly cautioned Gandhi against the use of such expressions. “India is our mother. You are a senior member. You must maintain restraint while speaking in this House. This is Lok Sabha,” Birla said.
HT has learnt that Gandhi’s speech will be reviewed by the Lok Sabha authorities and some parts might be expunged.
Participating in the no-confidence motion debate, Gandhi also thanked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for reinstating his membership of the House. This is Rahul Gandhi’s first speech after he got back his Lok Sabha membership following the Supreme Court’s stay of his conviction in the 2019 Modi surname case.
