'BJP Can Disqualify Me 50 Times, But...': Rahul Gandhi's Fresh Salvo At Centre In Wayanad

Speaking in a public meeting at Kerala's Wayanad, his first visit after his Lok Sabha membership was restored, Rahul Gandhi attacked PM Narendra Modi and accused him of not addressing the problem of Manipur in Parliament.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a stinging attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during his first visit to Kerala's Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored. Addressing a meeting organised by the Congress-led UDF alliance in Wayanad's Kalpetta, Rahul said the BJP can disqualify him 50 times, but his relationship with Wayanad will never change. He also spoke about his bond with Wayanad, saying, "Now, I have come to my family."

"Now, I want to ask you - suppose somebody tries to separate members of our family, suppose somebody tries to separate two brothers from each other, suppose somebody tries to separate a father from his daughter, do you think the relationship between the father and daughter will become weaker or stronger? If somebody tries to separate a family, the family becomes stronger; if somebody tries to separate a father and a son, the relationship between the father and the son becomes stronger... The love between the father and the son becomes stronger," Rahul Gandhi said.

He alleged that the BJP does not understand what a family is.

"They don't understand that the more they try to separate you and me, the closer we will become. They think -- if we disqualify Rahul Gandhi, his relationship with Wayanad will break. No! If you disqualify Rahul Gandhi, his relationship with Wayanad will become even stronger, his love for the people of Wayanad will become even stronger, and the love that the people of Wayanad have for him will become stronger," he added.

The Congress leader was disqualified as a member of the lower house from Wayanad on March 24 as a result of his conviction and a two-year jail term awarded to him in the 'Modi surname' remark case. His membership was restored after the Supreme Court on August 4 stayed his conviction in the case.

Addressing a meeting organised by the Congress-led UDF alliance to welcome him on his first visit to Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored, Rahul also recalled his relations with Congress veteran Oommen Chandy, who died last month.

"I am here today after four months... I have come back to Wayanad as your MP. I am happy to come back, but I am also sad that I don't see Oommen Chandy ji here. He was a leader of Kerala and Kerala showed the love and respect they had for him in his funeral. We are thankful for what he did for Kerala...The honesty and transparency with which he worked, and the love and affection that always guided him," he added.

PM Modi didn't address Manipur problem in Parliament

Rahul Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of not addressing the problem of Manipur even during the debate on the violence in the northeastern state in Parliament a few days ago.

"He (Modi) spoke for 2 hrs 13 minutes. He laughed... He joked... He smiled... His cabinet laughed, joked and smiled... They had a lot of fun. The Prime Minister spoke two hours about everything... Congress, me about INDIA alliance ? but spoke two minutes about Manipur," Gandhi said.

Lashing out at Modi, the former Congress chief said the BJP and the government led by it 'murdered the idea of India' in Manipur.

"You have destroyed thousands of families. You have allowed the rape of thousands of women. You have allowed the murder of thousands of people. And as Prime Minister of the country, you are laughing?" he asked.

Escalating his offensive against the prime minister, Gandhi further said, "You spent two minutes talking about the murder of Bharat Mata. How dare you do this? How can you dismiss the idea of India?"

"What have you been doing for the last four months? Why have you not been there? Why have you not tried to stop the violence? Because you are not a nationalist. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist," he said.

There is blood everywhere in Manipur

Stepping up his attack on PM Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP, Rahul Gandhi said there is a 'complete divide' between the state of Manipur and 'there is blood everywhere; there is murder everywhere; there is rape everywhere'.

He said the idea of India represents the idea of peace among its people.

"If there is violence, if there is hatred, if there is murder, if there is rape, that is not India. If in a state, the people are killing each other, murdering each other, raping each other, that is not India. India is love and affection between its people, India is the bringing together of people", Gandhi said.

Recalling his speech in Parliament, he said that the BJP has killed the idea of India in Manipur.

"Manipur mein aapne 'Bharat Mata' ki hatya ki hai (You have murdered the idea of India in Manipur). You have destroyed thousands of families. You have allowed the rape of women. You have allowed the murder of hundreds of people. And as Prime Minister of this country, you are laughing!", the Congress MP said.

LIVE: Public Meeting | Kalpetta, Wayanad | Kerala https://t.co/7wXfK08uhj

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 12, 2023

He said Modi spent only two minutes talking about the murder of 'Bharat Mata'.

"How dare you do this? How can you disrespect the idea of India? What have you been doing for the last four months? Why have you not been there? Why have you not tried to stop the violence? Because you are not a nationalist. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist, anybody who murders the idea of India cannot love India," he said.