KALPETTA: In his first visit to his constituency Wayanad after being reinstated as a member of the Lok Sabha on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mounted a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over the situation in riot-torn Manipur.
Addressing a rousing reception arranged by the state Congress leadership at Kalpetta, Wayanad, Rahul accused the PM and his cabinet of having ‘fun and a laughter’ during the discussion on Manipur in Parliament. “The idea of India represents the idea of peace among people. If there is violence, murder or rape, it’s not India. But, BJP has killed the idea of India in Manipur. Thousands of families have been destroyed there due to its policy. During his two-hour-thirteen-minute-long speech in Parliament, he (PM) laughed, joked and smiled and he spoke about everything —about Congress, about me, about INDIA alliance. But, he spoke just two minutes about Manipur,” said Rahul.
The Congress leader said his party will look to rebuild Manipur, which has been broken by BJP. “It may take five or more years to restore the love, affection and mutual respect between Manipuri people who were divided by BJP within two months. But, we will do it, and this is the fight between Congress and BJP,” he said.
Rahul alleged that thousands of families have been destroyed in Manipur by BJP’s policy. “How dare you [Modi] do this? How can you disrespect the idea of India. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist,” he said.
Rahul thanked the people of Wayanad for the support they extended while he was disqualified as MP.
“Now, I have come to my family. If somebody tries to separate members of a family, it only helps build the affection between them. They [BJP] tried to separate me from my family. They do not understand what a family is. They don’t know that the more they try to separate you and me the more closer we get,” said Rahul.
Cong will bring healing to Manipur: Rahul in Wayanad
“They think if they disqualify me, my relation with Wayanad will weaken. You have protected me; you gave me love; you gave me affection; you gave me respect,” said Rahul. He added that BJP has to understand that their attempts will destroy families.”India is a family, that is why they try to divide it. Manipur was a family, and they also tried to destroy it. But, we (Congress) will bring the people together. BJP thinks they have divided and destroyed Manipur. But, we will bring Manipur back together, we will bring love back to Manipur, we will bring mutual respect back to Manipur,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi was accorded a rousing welcome by workers of the UDF in his parliamentary constituency. Hundreds of Congress workers, who assembled at the reception venue, raised slogans in his support.
Rahul also handed over keys of houses constructed under the Kaithangu Scheme -- a project of the Congress party to construct houses to homeless people in Wayanad constituency -- to beneficiaries on the occasion.
State Congress president K Sudhakaran presided over the function. AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Tariq Anwar, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, IUML state president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, MPs K Muraleedharan, M K Raghavan, Rajmohan Unnithan, N K Premachandran and E T Muhammed Basheer, C P John, UDF MLAs, DCC presidents attended the programme. He will attend various programmes in Wayanad and Kozhikode during his two-day visit.