PM Modi wants 'fire to keep burning': Rahul Gandhi on Manipur violence
PTC News Desk: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Manipur on Wednesday, stating that the PM can solve the northeastern state's crisis in two-three days but wants "the fire to burn."
Rahul Gandhi attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a public rally in Rajasthan's Mangarh, alleging the party's ideology "murdered" Bharat Mata (India) in Manipur.
“In Manipur, there is fire. People are being killed, children are being killed; women are being raped. I told Parliament that Bharat Mata was killed in Manipur. BJP's ideology has murdered Bharat Mata in Manipur. If the PM wants, he can douse the fire in Manipur in 2-3 days. But PM wants the fire to keep burning. It's been three months, and it seems like Manipur is not a part of India. The PM has not spoken a single word about Manipur. I went there. MPs of the Opposition alliance went there but the PM did not go there,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Rahul was speaking during a rally in honour of the International Day of Indigenous People (Tribal Day).
He was there to honour the unsung tribal heroes who gave their life in the freedom struggle.
Mangarh Hill is particularly significant to the Bhil people and other tribes in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. During the freedom struggle, Britishers opened fire on around 1.5 lakh Bhils and other tribes who engaged in a long standoff with them at Mangarh Hill on November 17, 1913, led by Shri Govind Guru.
It resulted in the Mangarh massacre, in which roughly 1500 tribals were killed.
In his address to the gathering, Rahul Gandhi stated that people in today's society should learn from tribes how to foster relationships with the nature.
"How to have a relation with jal, jungle and jameen, people of the modern world should learn from tribal communities. BJP has now coined a term for tribals- Vanwasi. They want to take your (tribes’) lands and give it to Adani,” the Congress leader added.
This was his first visit to any state since being reinstated as a member of Parliament after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in the Modi surname case.
For the past few days, the Rajasthan Pradesh Committee leaders, including its in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, have been camping at Mangarh Dham and Banswara.