Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi Sunday claimed that if there had been a prime minister of the grand old party, the violence in Manipur would have been controlled by the fourth day, news agency PTI reported.
The senior Congress leader was addressing a rally at Nagaon district of Assam as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not interested in dousing the fire of ethnic violence in Manipur, Gandhi claimed that even PM Narendra Modi could control the violence in the Northeastern state within three days with the help of the Indian Army.
"Manipur has been burning for several months, but our prime minister hasn't gone there till date. Had it been a Congress PM, he would have gone there in three days and the fire there would have been doused on the fourth day," PTI quoted the former Congress president as saying.
"If the prime minister gives an order to the Army, in three days they can stop it. But, the BJP doesn't want to douse the fire. That's why the PM doesn't go there and order the Army to stop the 'tamasha'," he added.
The former Congress president claimed their workers and leaders were attacked by the BJP workers. Their vehicles were attacked and media persons accompanying the party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra were "manhandled" by the BJP crowd.
He further alleged that the BJP-ruled Assam government has been threatening people and trying to suppress their voice, but they have shown huge support to the Congress during the Nyay Yatra.
"A handful of people are moving around with BJP flags, but the public is with us," he said.
"Leaders come and go, but those with hearts filled with arrogance and hatred vanish soon," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is travelling with Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, accused the ruling party in the state of attacking his vehicle.
“My vehicle was attacked a few minutes ago at Jamugurihat, Sonitpur by an unruly BJP crowd who also tore off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
“They threw water and shouted anti-BJNY (Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra) slogans. But we kept our composure, waved to the hooligans and sped away. This is undoubtedly the Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s doing. We are not intimidated and will soldier on,” he added in the post.
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