'Houses Burnt, Women Raped, Parents Killed': Rahul Gandhi Recalls Manipur Situation During Wayanad Visit

After being reinstated as an MP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was warmly welcomed in Kerala's Wayanad -- his parliamentary constituency. Raising the issue of the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, the Congress leader said that despite being in politics for 19 years, he has never witnessed what he experienced when he went to Manipur.

Narrating the incidents of two Manipuri women who he met, Gandhi said, "You are my family and so it is important to tell you what I saw (in Manipur). I can't tell you about all the people but I will give you two examples. Examples that I will never forget and both of them involve Manipuri women."

He said that thousands of people in Manipur have suffered. "Someone's house has been burnt down, someone's sister has been raped, and someone's brother and parents have been killed. It is as if somebody threw kerosene across Manipur and set it on fire..." he said. Criticising the government over lack of discussion on the issue, he said that PM Modi and Union Cabinet ministers had a 'lot of fun' during discussion on Manipur issue in Parliament.

"He (PM Modi) spoke for two hours (in Parliament), talked about everything - about Congress, about me, about INDIA alliance - but he spoke for only two minutes about Manipur," he said.

Earlier too, the Congress leader slammed PM Modi for "laughing and making jokes in the Parliament". Rahul also criticised the handling of the situation in Manipur and said that there are options with Modi, such as the deployment of the Indian Army, but those options are not being utilised. 

Referring to his disqualification as an MP, Gandhi said that his relationship with his parliamentary constituency will not break, regardless of his status as an MP. "They think that if we disqualify Rahul Gandhi, his relationship with Wayanad will break. If you disqualify Rahul Gandhi, his relationship with Wayanad will become even stronger."