Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining silent on the ongoing violence in Manipur, alleging that the PM’s ideology had caused unrest in the northeastern state.
Speaking via video conferencing at the Indian Youth Congress’s National Youth Convention titled ‘Behtar Bharat Ki Buniyaad,’ Gandhi expressed concern over the Prime Minister’s lack of response to the crisis.
“All of you have seen what has happened in Manipur and what is happening there. And you will be surprised that the Prime Minister has not said a word about Manipur,” Rahul Gandhi said, addressing the convention from Kerala.
He further criticized Modi’s absence in the state, stating, “You must have felt that the Prime Minister should have visited Imphal and met people there. If there was any other Prime Minister from earlier times, they would have spoken to the people for sure.”
Taking aim at both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Gandhi accused them of being power-hungry and indifferent to the suffering of the people. He emphasized that there is an ideological battle between the Congress and the BJP-RSS, with the former focused on inclusivity and fighting against social inequalities while the latter sought to concentrate power among a select few.
“Congress’s ideology is of taking all together, spread love and fight against the unequal social system whereas BJP and RSS want select people to run the government with all the wealth confined to very few, and all the institutions remain in control of few people whether its judiciary, election commission, schools, colleges or Army,” Gandhi asserted.
During the video conference, enthusiastic party workers hailed Rahul Gandhi as the potential future Prime Minister of India. However, the Congress leader is currently in Kerala Arya Vaidya Shala for knee treatment.
It should be noted that Rahul Gandhi had recently visited Manipur and met with victims’ families and people seeking refuge in relief camps. He had also met with the state’s Governor to appeal for peace in the region.
The Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Modi regarding the situation in Manipur in both houses of Parliament, pushing for a comprehensive discussion on the issue in the state.
Since May 3, ethnic clashes in Manipur have resulted in hundreds of deaths and forced thousands of people to seek shelter in relief camps. However, the Prime Minister’s silence on the matter has drawn criticism from various quarters, including the Congress leader.
