New Delhi: A day after Union Minister Smriti Irani accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of “setting Manipur on fire,” Gandhi fired back, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the three-month-long ethnic clashes in the northeastern state.
In a video shared on social media by the Congress, Gandhi said, “Why is he not speaking anything about Manipur? This is because Narendra Modi ji has nothing to do with Manipur. They know that their ideology has burnt Manipur.”
Irani had made the allegations in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, where she accused opposition parties, including Gandhi, of remaining silent on crimes against women in non-BJP-ruled states. She also charged Gandhi with igniting Manipur‘s unrest.
Gandhi, however, redirected the blame, accusing the BJP and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of being “power-hungry” and divisive.
“The BJP-RSS only want power and can do anything to get power. For power, they will burn Manipur, they will burn the entire country. They don’t care about the sorrow and pain of the country, ” Gandhi said during a virtual Youth Congress programme.
The Congress party shared excerpts of Gandhi’s fiery speech on its Twitter handle. This comes amidst increasing demands by the opposition, led by Congress, for a statement from the Prime Minister on the situation in Manipur, followed by a comprehensive discussion on the issue.