Rahul Gandhi Takes charge of no confidence motion, Shifts Focus to Manipur Woes

New Delhi, August 9, 2023: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took the floor during the ongoing no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha, expressing gratitude to Speaker Om Birla for restoring his parliamentary membership. In a departure from his usual fiery approach, Gandhi initially addressed the Adani issue that had sparked controversy in his previous speech.

“Speaker Sir, first of all, I would like to thank you for reinstating me as an MP of the Lok Sabha. When I spoke the last time, perhaps I caused you trouble because I focused on Adani – maybe your senior leader was pained…That pain might have had an impact on you as well. I apologize to you for that. But I spoke the truth. Today, my friends in BJP need not be scared because my speech today is not on Adani,” Rahul stated in his opening remark.

The day marked the second round of debate on the no-confidence motion proposed by the opposition block INDIA against the Modi government.

Gandhi then shifted the discussion towards Manipur, accusing the Modi government of fragmenting the state. “A few days back, I went to Manipur. Our PM didn’t go, not even to this day, because for him Manipur is not India,” he asserted, adding, “You have murdered Bharat Mata in Manipur.”

His comments sparked a heated response from the treasury benches. Union minister Kiren Rijiju and other BJP MPs demanded an apology from the Congress leader for his remarks.

During his speech, Rahul Gandhi indicated a departure from his usual confrontational approach, stating, “I want to speak from my heart today. I won’t launch a fierce attack on the government today like I always do.”

As the debate continued, the focus on Manipur and its political implications remained at the forefront, underlining the charged discussions that unfolded during the parliamentary session.