BJP's politics harmed Bharat Mata in Manipur: Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, August 9

Former Congress chief and MP Rahul Gandhi, speaking for the first time in the Lok Sabha after getting reinstated, accused the Narendra Modi government of having “harmed India” in Manipur.

Not a protector

You (BJP) cannot be called protectors of Bharat Mata. You didn’t go to Manipur. Probably, you don’t consider Manipur a part of India.

-Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP

“You are not nationalists. That is why you did not go to Manipur…. You have harmed Bharat Mata in Manipur,” said Rahul while opening the second day of the debate on the no-confidence motion over the Manipur issue in the Lower House on Wednesday.

40 Manipur MLAs for NRC

Forty Manipur MLAs submitted a memorandum to the PM, seeking replacement of Assam Rifles with “trustworthy central and state forces” and implementation of the National Register of Citizens for the state.

Amid protests from treasury benches, he said: “You can’t be called the protectors of Bharat Mata…. You never cared to visit Manipur. Probably, you don’t consider it part of India.” Taking on the BJP for “dividing Manipur into two communities”, the Congress MP claimed: “Your politics has harmed India in Manipur.” At this juncture, Union Minister Kiran Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, intervened: “Rahul should apologise. Your party (Congress) has been in power for 60 years. Militancy in the north-east has existed because of the Congress.”

Members of opposition parties rushed to the Well to protest Rijiju’s comments during Rahul’s speech. Congress members were also heard telling the treasury benches that they would also disrupt Prime Minister Modi’s speech on Thursday.

Rahul went on to question: “Why are you not using the Army, it can restore peace in one day?” He then showed a poster which he claimed depicted what PM Modi had done for industrialist Gautam Adani. The Speaker, however, questioned the display of posters.

Dipping into the epic Ramayana, Rahul said Ravan used to listen to only two people —- Kumbhkaran and Meghnad. Similarly, he said, “Modi listens to only Amit Shah and Adani”. “Lord Ram did not kill Ravan, Ravan got killed due to his arrogance…. Hanuman did not set ablaze Lanka. Lanka was burned down due to the arrogance of Ravan,” added the Congress leader.

Rahul thanked the Speaker for reinstating him in the Lok Sabha. “I may have caused some discomfort to you when I spoke the last time. I had focused on Adani…. For the ‘discomfort’ I caused, I apologise. “I will not speak on Adani much, you can relax.”

Referring to his recent Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader said he had heard the voice of India.