Ahead of Narendra Modi's response to the no-confidence motion in Parliament, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said the Prime Minister would play the victim card as per the "standard procedure". Priyank, son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, said PM Modi would put the onus on previous governments and invoke Jawaharlal Nehru, Manmohan Singh and even blame Rahul Gandhi for the ethnic violence in Manipur.
After the Opposition's relentless attempts to get the Prime Minister to speak on the Manipur violence, Modi will finally address Lok Sabha at 4 pm.
"The standard operating procedure will be followed, the PM will play the victim card, he’ll blame the previous governments. He’ll invoke Nehru ji, Rajiv Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, and blame Rahul Gandhi...It took more than 80 days for the PM to say the word Manipur," Priyank said.
He added, "Has PM Modi visited Manipur? Has Amit Shah visited Manipur? What is Amit Shah's stance on six lakhs of ammunition missing and 4,000 automatic rifles being missing? Isn't it the height of incompetency? Yes or No?"
Priyank Kharge further said, "It's just going to be his 'Mann Ki Baat' with his cheerleaders sitting behind him just shouting 'Modi Modi'. You will not get a straight answer from the Prime Minister that much I know."
The Opposition has been lashing out at PM Modi over the past weeks over his silence on the Manipur violence. The Opposition moved the no-confidence motion to compel PM Modi to address Parliament.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, upon returning to Lok Sabha after his disqualification as an MP, made a fiery speech attacking PM Modi for not visiting the strife-torn Manipur.