Manipur Election 2022 | BJP, RSS See Democratic Institutions As Personal Property: Rahul Gandhi

The Wayanad MP accused the Manipur government of crushing the opposition and destroying democratic foundations of the state.

Rahul Gandhi addressed a gathering of INC Manipur office bearers at Congress Bhawan, Imphal. (Photo: Twitter/@INCIndia)

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday trained guns at BJP and RSS claiming that they look at democratic institutions of the country as their personal property while the grand old party considers them as belonging to the people.

During an interaction with Congress members at the party office in Imphal, Rahul also claimed that the idea of plurality and diversity of India is under attack during the BJP rule, news agency PTI reported.

The former Congress president is in Manipur's capital city to take charge of the party's campaign ahead of the two-phase election in the state.

Rahul Gandhi said that Congress is duty-bound to protect the impartiality of institutional structures such as "the judiciary, the Election Commission, the free press and the bureaucracy" and the party seeks to fight the BJP by strengthening these institutions.

He expressed confidence in the Congress party's ability to do very well in the election, adding that it will form the next government in Manipur.

According to him, Congress stands for defending different cultures, languages, and traditions of the country and views India as a union of states where every state has their equal responsibility, role, and partnership and "no state is more important than another".

"The idea of plurality, diversity is under attack not just in Manipur but the whole country.... The BJP is creating an atmosphere of hate and is dividing people," he alleged, as quoted by PTI.

The Wayanad MP accused the BJP-led Manipur government of crushing the opposition and destroying democratic foundations of the state.

Replying to a Congress worker's question on how the party seeks to deal with the issue of insurgency, Rahul said that Congress is in favour of addressing the matter through dialogue.

He also stated that there is tremendous potential for rejuvenation of Manipur, adding that Congress wants to improve the tourism sector, develop entrepreneurship, and intends to give youngsters political positions and spaces so that they can guide the state in the future.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes at the Shaheed Minar which commemorates Manipuri people who fought the British in a war in 1891. He also paid his respect at Nupi Lan Memorial complex honouring Manipuri women who sacrificed their lives against the British in 1939.

The assembly election in Manipur will be held in two phases on February 28 and March 5.

(With Agency Inputs)