NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday mounted a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of the deadly ethnic conflict in Manipur, saying his government had divided the remote northeastern state, broken it and burnt it.
More than 180 people have been killed, many hundreds more wounded and tens of thousands rendered homeless in Manipur since May, but Modi failed to publicly address the violence until last month in a state controlled by his own Hindu nationalist party.
Addressing parliament for the first time since his reinstatement on Monday as a lawmaker, Gandhi poured scorn on what he called the divisive policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a debate on a no-trust vote against Modi's government.
"You have killed mother India in Manipur," Gandhi said as opposition lawmakers thumped their desks and their government counterparts booed him.
"You have divided it, broken it," said Gandhi, who was disqualified from parliament in March after he was convicted for defamation until the Supreme Court last week suspended the conviction, allowing him to be reinstated.
The no-trust vote is not expected to impact the stability or the popularity of Modi's government as it enjoys a strong majority and is expected to win a third term in a general election next year.
However, it hopes to draw out Modi to speak in detail and embarrass him over the violence that has led the United States and the European parliament to express concern.
The three-day debate and vote which began Tuesday also come a month before Modi hosts G20 leaders for the annual summit in New Delhi, where he aims to showcase India’s leadership of the Global South.
VISIT TO MANIPUR
Gandhi, who spoke in Hindi, said the Indian army could bring peace to Manipur in one day but is not being used, "because you want to kill India in Manipur", addressing the government side.
New Delhi has rushed tens of thousands of additional security forces to the state of 3.2 million people but sporadic violence continues.
The clashes erupted over the BJP state government potentially extending special benefits to the mostly Hindu ethnic majority Meiteis. Those benefits have been reserved for minority, mostly Christian, Kuki tribals in the state.
The state government denies accusations by the Kukis and political rivals that it failed to act more forcefully to quell the trouble.
Gandhi, scion of a dynasty that has given India three prime ministers, recalled his visit to Manipur in June and his experiences of meeting women in relief camps there, something, he said, "our prime minister has not done so far".
"Our prime minister has not gone to Manipur because for him Manipur is not in India," Gandhi said.
"You are pouring kerosene over the entire country. You threw kerosene in Manipur and lit a spark, now you are doing that in Haryana, you are burning the entire country," he said, referring to Hindu-Muslim clashes in the northern state of Haryana last week in which seven people have been killed.
BJP-ruled Haryana, on the fringes of New Delhi, has blamed the violence on Muslim mobs attacking a Hindu religious procession and called it a larger conspiracy.
Modi was not present in parliament when Gandhi spoke but he is due to address it on Thursday before it is put to vote.
Modi had not made any public comments about the conflict until last month when videos showing women being paraded naked and molested in Manipur surfaced and sparked national outrage.
He called the assault of women "shameful" and that his heart was filled with pain and anger and promised tough action.
Reuters
Wed Aug 09 2023
Our prime minister has not gone to Manipur because for him Manipur is not in India, said Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. - REUTERS/Filepic
Polis Sepanyol rampas jersi tiruan, nilai melebihi RM30 juta
Semua jersi tersebut dijual menjelang perlawanan akhir Liga Juara-Juara antara Real Madrid dan Borussia Dortmund dan Kejohanan Eropah di Jerman bulan depan.
WHO cemas jumlah kes denggi yang tinggi
Bilangan kes denggi di seluruh dunia dilaporkan meningkat sejak lima tahun lalu, dengan situasi yang amat membimbangkan di benua Amerika tahun ini, menurut laporan baharu yang dikeluarkan oleh Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) pada Khamis.
Beberapa orang awam termasuk polis cedera diserang di Mannheim
Seorang lelaki cedera ditembak polis tempatan selepas mencederakan beberapa individu di dataran di bandar Mannheim barat daya Jerman, pada Jumaat.
Lebih 6,000 mangsa banjir diselamatkan di India
Taufan Emal yang melanda negeri Manipur, di timur laut India menyebabkan lebih 6,000 penduduk di sana terperangkap akibat banjir kilat.
Situasi itu menyebabkan pasukan penyelamat digerakkan ke negeri tersebut bagi menyalurkan barangan keperluan kepada mangsa yang terkandas di rumah.
Situasi itu menyebabkan pasukan penyelamat digerakkan ke negeri tersebut bagi menyalurkan barangan keperluan kepada mangsa yang terkandas di rumah.
Selepas sabitan bersalah, Trump adakan sidang media
Sehari selepas juri New York mensabitkan bekas Presiden Donald Trump bersalah atas 34 pertuduhan jenayah memalsukan rekod perniagaan, calon presiden Parti Republikan itu mengadakan sidang media di Menara Trump di Manhanttan.
Bekas Speaker Parlimen Iran Larijani lancar bidaan Presiden
Bekas Speaker Parlimen Iran, Ali Larijani mengemukakan pencalonannya untuk pilihan raya Presiden yang ditetapkan bulan depan berikutan kematian Ebrahim Raisi dalam nahas helikopter.
Bawa gagasan perjuangan Palestin dalam bentuk keamanan
Antara strategi yang boleh digunakan ialah dengan mengajak masyarakat dunia mengutuk kezaliman zionis dan membiarkan mereka menyampah dengan pemeritahan yang zalim.
[TERKINI] SPRM siasat isu suami menteri terima kontrak
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) telah menerima beberapa aduan baharu berhubung isu suami seorang menteri dilantik untuk memberi bukti konsep satu projek pengangkutan oleh Kerajaan Selangor. c
62 jemaah dirawat di hospital, jangkitan paru-paru paling ramai
Ketua Rombongan Haji Malaysia, Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman maklumkan, sehingga 29 Mei, seramai 62 jemaah Malaysia jatuh sakit dan dirawat di Pusat Rawatan di Arab Saudi dan Pusat Rawatan Tabung Haji di Mekah.
InvestKL jadi anak syarikat MIDA berkuat kuasa 1 Jun - MITI
Kementerian Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri (MITI) mula menggabungkan semua fungsi agensi-agensi penggalakan pelaburan di bawah Lembaga Pembangunan Pelaburan Malaysia (MIDA).
Pegawai kanan Parti Kongres India letak jawatan selepas keluar kenyataan rasis
Seorang pegawai kanan Parti Kongres India meletak jawatan selepas beliau membuat kenyataan didakwa rasis.
Kerajaan Modi berjaya ketepikan usul undi tidak percaya
Usul undi tidak percaya ini dikecam keras Modi dan beliau mendakwa kumpulan pemimpin ini tidak percaya kepada demokrasi.
India: Rahul Gandhi tamatkan perarakan perpaduan nasional dengan mesej menentang keganasan
Rahul dan ketua parti Kongres memulakan 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' pada 7 Sept di Kanyakumari, selatan India, merentasi 12 negeri, sejauh 3,500km.
Ekonomi India terjejas akibat undang-undang kewarganegaraan baru
Ia berikutan kontroversi Rang Undang-Undang (RUU) Pindaan Kewarganegaraan (CAB) yang bertujuan memberi kewarganegaraan kepada pelarian bukan Islam dari tiga negara islam yang berjiran dengan India.
Rahul Gandhi letak jawatan Presiden Parti Kongres
Rahul Gandhi semalam meletak jawatan sebagai pemimpin parti pembangkang utama India, Parti Kongres ekoran kekalahan memalukan kali kedua dalam pilihan raya.
Ceritalah India: Kalau bukan Modi, siapa?
Veena pasti bahawa jika Perdana Menteri yang bertahan dipilih semula, anaknya akan mendapat pekerjaan: "Modi akan menyelesaikan masalah kami. Jika tidak Modi, siapa?"
900 juta rakyat India keluar mengundi hari ini
900 juta pengundi berdaftar layak menunaikan tanggungjawab masing-masing dalam pilihan raya terbesar di dunia bermula hari ini di India.
Parti pembangkang utama India INC keluar senarai pertama calon PRU
Sebanyak 15 nama telah diumumkan dalam senarai calon pertama INC termasuk Presiden Parti Rahul Gandhi serta ibunya, Sonia Gandhi.