PM Modi, speaking on Manipur, made the House an election rally: Kharge

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying if he had given up his "stubbornness" earlier, the valuable time of the Parliament would have been saved while noting that even while speaking on the sensitive issue of Manipur, he treated the house as "an election rally".

In a tweet in Hindi, he first thanked the Prime Minister for speaking on Manipur.

"Thank you Prime Minister. At last you spoke in the House on the Manipur violence. We are sure that the pace of restoration of peace in Manipur will be faster, people from relief camps will return to their homes. They will be rehabilitated, justice will be done to them", he said.

Then slamming the Prime Minister, Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said: "If you had given up your stubbornness and arrogance earlier, the valuable time of the Parliament would have been saved. Important bills would have been passed with good discussion. We are pained that on an unprecedented issue like the Manipur violence, the opposition had to use a parliamentary weapon like a no-confidence motion. But you also used the House as an election rally."

He also slammed the government for suspending Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

"In the last phase, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary was suspended, which is very undemocratic and unfortunate. It reflects the arrogance and maliciousness of the authorities. This tradition will prove very fatal for both the constitution and parliamentary democracy. We strongly condemn it", he said.

Modi on Thursday spoke on Manipur during the no-confidence motion. In his over two-hour-long speech, he gave an assurance that peace will prevail in Manipur and that it will march forward on the path of development. "The entire country and the House is with Manipur. We will together ensure peace there," he said. However he said that all efforts to ensure peace in the state should be free of politics.

Congress General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal said: "Dull, boring and unoriginal. Even though INDIA compelled Prime Minister Modi to give up his boycott of Parliament and break his silence on Manipur, this was a speech that leaves the Indian people confused and sorely disappointed.

"In a 2 hour 13 minute speech, he had 3 minutes of empty platitudes on Manipur, and he hid behind his already-flopped Home Minister, or the same old drivel about the past. Modi, you cannot twist history and shirk responsibility for your criminal failure in handling Manipur.

"Your words of 'economic development' in Manipur are hollow, with no solution for peace whatsoever. This long monologue of WhatsApp forwards was a weak attempt to whitewash this government’s failures of unemployment, price rise, farmers’ distress, terrible condition of women’s safety, and an atmosphere of hatred. The people of India will show their no-confidence in you in 2024," Venugopal added.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a dig at the Prime Minister and said, "During the No Confidence Motion, the Prime Minister boasted about the state of HAL's health.

"The fact remains - and this is beyond any dispute - that originally in the pre-2014 era, HAL was to make 108 Rafale fighter aircraft in Bengaluru with 18 being purchased outright from France. In April 2015, Modi made an outright purchase of 36 jets from France while the HAL part of the deal was quietly buried, leaving it high and dry."

In his speech, Modi also sought to mock the 'INDIA' opposition's alliance

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