Rahul Gandhi slams govt in first speech since return as MP: Mother India has been murdered

Indian MP Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lower House (Lok Sabha) of the parliamenton Wednesday (August 9) for the first time since being reinstated. In the speech, Gandhi took stinging jibes at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his inaction over the Manipur violence. Gandhi said BJP had divided the northeastern state into two halves and that Bharat Mata (Mother India)had been murdered there.

"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," said Gandhi.

"I used the name Manipur but there is no Manipur left. You have divided Manipur into two halves," he added.

Gandhi said he had gone to a Manipur relief camp few days back where he met a woman who had lost her child.

"I asked a woman there what had happened to her. To which she replied she had only one child who was shot in front of her. She said she stayed with the dead body of the child for the whole night," said Gandhi.

"I asked another woman the same question, to whichshe immediately started shivering and fainted in front of me."

They have killed India: Gandhi

Afterwards, the Gandhi scion took his attack a notch above and said: "They [Centre government] have killed India inside Manipur, their politics haskilled India. You have killed Bharat Mata in Manipur."

After his statement, BJP senior leader Kiren Rijiju got up from his seat and demanded that Gandhi apologise for his statements.

"Whatever Rahul Gandhi has said today is very defaming and he should apologise for this," said Rijiju.

After the Speaker intervened, Gandhi continued his speech and said Indian Army could restore peace in the region.

"Indian Armed Forces can bring peace in Manipur within one day, but you're not doing it because you want to kill Bharat Mata in Manipur."

"Our PM doesn't listen to the voice of our people, our PM listens to only two people: Amit Shah andAdani," he added.

Notably, the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Monday (August 7) restored Gandhi's membership after a city court had convicted him in a defamation case and revoked it.

The decision by the secretariat came a couple of daysafter the Supreme Court put on hold Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case.

(With inputs from agencies)

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