Rahul Gandhi steps up attack on PM over Manipur

Wayanad (Kerala): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of not addressing the problem of Manipur even during the debate on the violence in the northerneastern state in Parliament a few days ago.

Gandhi was addressing a meeting organised by the opposition Congress-led UDF alliance in Kalpetta here to welcome him on his first visit to Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored.

"He (Modi) spoke for 2 hrs 13 minutes. He laughed... he joked... he smiled... his cabinet laughed, joked and smiled... They had a lot of fun. The Prime Minister spoke two hours about everything... Congress, me about INDIA alliance — but spoke two minutes about Manipur," Gandhi said.

Lashing out at Modi, Gandhi said the BJP and the government led by it "murdered the idea of India" in Manipur.

"You have destroyed thousands of families. You have allowed the rape of thousands of women. You have allowed the murder of thousands of people. And as Prime Minister of the country, you are laughing?" he asked.

The Congress leader opined that anyone who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist.

Escalating his offensive against Modi, Gandhi further said: "You spent two minutes talking about the murder of Bharat Mata. How dare you do this? How can you dismiss the idea of India?"

"What have you been doing for the last four months? Why have you not been there? Why have you not tried to stop the violence? Because you are not a nationalist. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist," he said. (PTI)