Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani countered Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Manipur in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Irani said this was the first time someone spoke about the “murder of Bharat Mata” in Parliament and that she condemned Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour in the House.
In her fiery address, the BJP MP from Amethi lambasted the opposition alliance INDIA and said, “You are not India”.
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Here are the top quotes from Smriti Irani’s speech in Lok Sabha
‘You are not India’
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the 81st anniversary of Quit India movement, Irani said, “You are not India, for India is not corrupt. India believes in merit, not in dynasty, and today of all the days people like you need to remember what was told to the British – Quit India. Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India. Merit now finds a place in India…”
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s speech, Smriti Irani, who defeated the Congress leader from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat during the 2019 elections, said, “The entire country has seen Congress leaders clapping, thumping desks when Rahul Gandhi spoke of the murder of India.”
‘Manipur not divided, part of country’
Firing back at the Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Manipur, she said “The government was always ready to debate on the violence in the northeastern state and it was opposition that ran away.”
“Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh repeatedly said that the government is ready to debate on the Manipur issue. The opposition ran away from it, we did not,” she said.
“They have sent a clear message to the country about who the traitors are. As an Indian, I am saying Manipur is not divided. It is a part of my country,” Irani added.
Smriti Irani invokes 1984 anti-Sikh riots, atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who spoke just before Irani, trained guns on the ruling BJP saying, “From Manipur to Nuh, you have set the entire country on fire. The BJP’s politics has murdered India in Manipur… BJP is anti-national.”
Smriti Irani in turn invoked the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits during Congress regimes at the Centre and said, “Manipur is not divided and is an integral part of India.”
“In this country, neither will Article 370 be reinstated nor will those who threaten Kashmiri Pandits with ‘Ralib Galib Chalib’ be spared,” she added.
She recounted the horrors of the Emergency to attack the Congress and said the history of the party’s rule is smeared in blood.
‘Only a misogynistic man…’
Rahul Gandhi allegedly blew a flying kiss to BJP members in Lok Sabha while leaving the Parliament after opening the debate on a no-confidence motion against the BJP government and PM Modi.
Smriti Irani called out Rahul Gandhi for the flying kiss gesture and said, “I object to something. The one who was given the chance to speak before me displayed indecency before leaving. It is only a misogynistic man who can give a flying kiss to a Parliament which seats female members. Such undignified conduct was never before seen in the Parliament of the country. This is obscene.”