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On the second day of the no confidence motion proceedings against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to visit Manipur in the midst of a horrific ethnic conflict. “Our Prime Minister has not visited Manipur even once. For him, Manipur is not India,” he alleged. He added that Manipur is not whole anymore, because the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party has broken it into two parts.
Rahul said that while visiting the relief camps in Manipur, he spoke to several women and children. “One woman told me that her only child had been shot dead right before her eyes. She told me, ‘I lay next to his corpse all night. Eventually I left my house because I was scared.’ She told me all that survived of her belongings were her clothes and a photo of her son with her.” He also described an interaction with another woman, who was shaking in fear due to the trauma she had to undergo before fainting in front of him.
“These people have murdered India in Manipur,” Rahul said. Addressing the BJP government, he added, “You have murdered Bharat Mata in Manipur. You are not a patriot, you don’t love this country. You are traitors. You are not the caretakers of Bharat Mata, you are her killers. Bharat Mata is my mother. You have murdered my mother in Manipur.”
Calling the BJP “deshdrohis” (traitors to the nation), he said, “If PM Modi does not listen to the voice of India, whose voice does he listen to? He only listens to Amit Shah and Adani.” He also accused the BJP of pouring kerosene on India with an intention to burn it all down. “You poured kerosene on Manipur, now you are doing it in Haryana. You are out to burn all of India,” he said.
Rahul also spoke about his experience at the Bharat Jodo Yatra. “Many people asked why I am walking during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Initially, I was not able to answer, maybe I did not have clarity. When we started in Kanyakumari, I thought I would listen to the people of India. I had to understand what it was that I love, what it is that I am ready to die for, what I am ready to go to Modi's jail for, what it is that I have heard insults for ten years,” he said.
The no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the Modi-led government was moved on Tuesday by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi. The debates will be held on Wednesday, August 9. Modi will reply to the debate on August 10.
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