Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "refusing to stop" the violence in Manipur as he wants the fire to rage on, further alleging that PM Modi is allowing the state to burn. He also justified his Lok Sabha remarks on Mother India and commented about his expunged words saying how he "cannot even say the word Bharat Mata" in the Parliament.
"I watched the Prime Minister speak for two hours laughing, joking, and raising slogans... He seems to have forgotten that Manipur is on fire and has been on fire for four months. Women and children are dying over there people are being murdered women are being molested and raped. The Prime Minister is sitting in Parliament shamelessly laughing. This is not about the Opposition it is about India it is about our country," the Wayanad MP remarked.
He further said, "A state has been disseminated. It has happened because of the government's divide and rule and burn policy, that is why I said Bharat Mata has been murdered in Manipur."
Talking about his remarks that were expunged by Lok Sabha chairperson Om Birla, the Congress leader said, "For the first time, the words Bharat Mata have been expunged in the parliament, it's an insult to those words. Bharat Mata is an idea of India where everybody lives peacefully and harmoniously with affection. It has been killed in Manipur, it's a fact. The word itself cannot be spoken by the people of India, we cannot say Bharat Mata in the parliament."
"I said it because Manipur no longer exists as a state as a state requires control, a state requires authority that has disappeared in Manipur. I saw this with my own eyes when we went there. When we went to the Meitei area we were category told we want you to come but please ensure that if there are any Kukis in your security detail, they do not come into our area or we will shoot them," he added, and emphasised that the same demand was made in the Kuki area asking not to bring Meiteis there.
He claimed that the Prime Minister refuses to stop the fire as he wants Manipur to burn. "He allows Manipal to burn. Because if he did want it to stop there are tools in the hands of the Indian government that can stop it. I have full faith in our Army. The Indian Army can put an end to this. There are reasons for the PM not being able to go to Manipur but I don't want to say them publicly," he added.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that PM Modi in his Lok Sabha address ridiculed the people of Manipur, "he laughed at the women of the state".
Further targeting PM Modi's Lok sabha speech said the Prime Minister should not speak "as a petty politician, as the leader of a political party".
"The Prime Minister should speak with the weight of the Indian people behind him it is tragic to watch Mr Narendra Modi it is sad. The Prime Minister doesn't understand who he is he is all over representative," the Wayanad MP added.
No-Confidence Motion
This comes on the last day of the monsoon session and a day after Gandhi attacked the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha while speaking on the no-confidence motion. He began saying that the government doesn't have to fear him as he wouldn't speak against the Gautam Adani group. Gandhi said: "I won't speak against Adani. So, you don't have to be scared. Dariye mat. Just Relax."
"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. Today, my friends in BJP need not be scared because my speech today is not on Adani," he said.
Gandhi said that he won't be too hard on the government in his speech. "Ek do gole zaroor marunga, magar itna nahi. [Will fire one or two shots. But not too many]."
He said, "You are putting the entire country in flames. First, it was Manipur, now it is Haryana. You want to burn the whole country." Taking a dig at PM Modi, he added: "PM Modi doesn't listen to India's voice... Raavan used to listen to just two persons — Meghnad and Kumbhakarna. Similarly, PM Modi listens to only Amit Shah and [Gautam] Adani."
Later, replying to the no-confidence motion, PM Modi took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi and said the government has restored the pride of the country and has taken it to new heights. However, there are some people who keep trying to sully the image of the country on a global stage, but the attempts are defeated as the world is waking up to and acknowledging India’s potential, PM Modi added.
“We've taken India's reputation to greater heights but there are some people who are trying to tarnish the image of our country in the world but today the world's trust in India is increasing,” PM Modi said in his reply to Opposition’s no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha.