BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Rahul Gandhi over Manipur comments

In a recent political face-off, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s expectations of the armed forces in the turbulent state of Manipur. BJP leader and ex-Union minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, countered Rahul Gandhi’s statements, asserting that the Congress figurehead lacks democratic sensibility.

Ravi Shankar Prasad highlighted Rahul Gandhi’s suggestion that the armed forces could bring peace in Manipur within two days if given the chance. He posed a sharp query, asking if Rahul Gandhi intended to mirror the actions of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who sanctioned the air force to bomb Aizawl in 1966. The BJP leader pressed, “Is Gandhi’s vision for the armed forces to confront Indians in the tension-riddled Manipur? Or should the goal be to foster unity and rebuild community bonds?”

Further intensifying the confrontation, Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Rahul Gandhi of stoking tensions with his parliamentary remarks amid the escalating discord between Meitis and Kukis in Manipur. Rahul Gandhi, during a Lok Sabha session, charged the Centre, alleging that its political strategies had metaphorically resulted in the “murder” of ‘Bharat Mata’ in Manipur.

BJP clashes with Rahul Gandhi over Manipur comments; Highlights recent Parliament disruptions. Photo courtesy of Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India/Wikimedia Commons.

Citing past incidents like the 1984 Sikh killings and the 1983 Nellie massacre, Ravi Shankar Prasad challenged Rahul Gandhi’s perspective on these events and asserted that it was the Congress that had sown division in the country. He further criticized the Opposition for their “utterly irresponsible” actions during the Monsoon Parliament session and took a jab at the Congress’s Lok Sabha Leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, for consistently interrupting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the no-confidence motion.

Emphasizing the BJP’s commitment to addressing the Manipur situation, Ravi Shankar Prasad noted that both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah dedicated extensive time discussing the northeastern state in Parliament, countering claims that the unrest was sidelined. The BJP leader lambasted the Opposition for their alleged double standards, first demanding PM Modi’s remarks and subsequently interrupting and walking out during his address.

In light of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s claims of Hindi imposition by the Centre following the introduction of three bills to replace foundational legal acts, Prasad defended the national character of several Indian entities functioning in the southern state. He highlighted the recent introduction by Home Minister Amit Shah of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, intended to supplant the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, and the Indian Evidence Act respectively.