“Our intention for detail discussion on Manipur, but PM not ready to come to House”: Kharge in Rajya Sabha
Aug 09, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 9 : Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the party is in favour of having a detailed discussion on Manipur in the House but the Prime Minister is not ready to come to the House.
"Our intention was that when a detailed discussion happens on Manipur in the House then some details will come out. PM is not ready to come to the House. The Government is not ready to listen to us. As a mark of protest, we will walk out from the House”, Kharge said.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs today staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha over the Manipur issue.
In a scathing attack in Lok Sabha on the ruling BJP on the Manipur situation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged they “murdered India in Manipur” and were “traitors not patriots”.
Rahul Gandhi, who was the first speaker as the no-confidence debate resumed on Wednesday in the House, also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over ethnic violence in Manipur.
Referring to BJP which is in power both at the Centre and in Manipur, he said, “you killed Bharat Mata in Manipur”.
The Congress leader came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur and alleged that the PM does not consider the state to be part of India.
Calling the BJP government “anti national”, he accused the party of splitting the Northeastern state in two and termed members of the ruling party as “traitors”.
Referring to his experiences when he visited Manipur and his interactions with victims of violence in the state, Rahul Gandhi said ‘Bharat’ is voice of people of the country and that “voice was killed in Manipur”.
"Bharat ek awaaz hai, Bharat hamari janta ki awaaz hai, dil ki awaaz hai. Uss awaaz ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki. Iska matlab Bharat Mata ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki...You killed India by killing the people of Manipur. You are a traitor, you are not a patriot," Rahul Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister has not visited the northeastern state since it witnessed violence.
“A few days back, I went to Manipur. Our PM didn't go, not even to this day, because for him Manipur is not India,” Gandhi alleged.
BJP members strongly objected to Rahul Gandhi’s accusations and his using ‘Bharat Mata’ for his allegations in relation to Manipur situation.
He also said the Bharat Jodo Yatra was not over and that he undertook the cross-country march to understand what was it he loved.
“I walked from one end of the country to another, from the coast to the snowy mountains of Kashmir. The yatra is still not over … Many people asked me after it started.
"Rahul why did you walk, what is your aim. I did not know why I wanted to walk but I soon understood the thing that I love and the thing for which I am willing to die and go to Modi ji’s jail, the thing for which I bore abuse for 10 years, I wanted to understand,” he said.