PNS|New Delhi
The politics of the BJP has “murdered Bharat Mata” in Manipur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Wednesday and called members of the ruling party “traitors”, as he launched a broadside against the Narendra Modi government over its handling of the violence in the northeastern state.
Speaking on the second day of the debate on the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, Gandhi, in his first comments in the House after the restoration of his membership, also slammed Prime Minister Modi for not visiting Manipur and alleged that the PM does not consider the state a part of India, evoking strong protest by the treasury benches.
The former Congress chief also alleged that the Prime Minister listens to only two people, Amit Shah and Gautam Adani, just as Ravan paid heed to only two people’s advice –Meghnad and Kumbhakaran.
Gandhi showed an old poster of Modi and Adani sitting together in an aircraft, and claimed that “Modi doesn’t listen to India’s voice but theirs (Adani group).” The Prime Minister was not in the House when Gandhi spoke.
After the treasury benches protested over the poster, pointing out that it was not allowed by the rules, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla again asked Gandhi to exercise restraint. “Hanuman had not burnt down Lanka, Ravan’s arrogance did it. Ravan was not killed by Ram but by his arrogance,” Gandhi said, referring to the Indian epic Ramayana.
“I went to Manipur a few days ago. Our Prime Minister has not gone there, he has not gone there till now. He does not consider Manipur part of India. I used the word Manipur, but the reality is that there is no Manipur left. You have divided Manipur into two parts, you have broken up Manipur,” Gandhi said.
