Rahul Gandhi Criticises PM Modi in Poll-Bound Manipur, Calls BJP Arrogant

He said the Congress respects the state's culture, language & ideas while BJP desires to impose uniformity in India.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Monday, 21 February, targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poll-bound Manipur, calling the party arrogant and claimed that the BJP will destroy Manipur's future.

At an election rally in capital Imphal, Gandhi said that Congress respects the state's culture, language, and ideas while the BJP desires to impose uniformity in India.

He said:

"UP is bigger than Manipur but the people of UP and Manipur are the same for us. We will equally protect the language, diversity, history, culture of UP and Manipur. There is no double standard for us."

He added that Congress fights the BJP's vision of India as they have "one ideology, one idea, one language and one culture" which the ruling party considers "superior."

He stated that the BJP is "attacking" the state's democratic values by as it has not held council elections in the last five years.

The Wayanad MP took a jab at Modi for avoiding core issues like unemployment, farmers' income, demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax and the promised Rs 15 lakh to all citizens.

He accused PM Modi of helping Yoga teacher Baba Ramdev's company Patanjali and "two-three" large companies by palm plantations, according to a report by NDTV.

"The BJP wants to destroy Manipur's future by creating palm oil plantations... who do they help? Are they going to help people of Manipur or companies like Patanjali and two-three large businesses in country? The same business the notebandi, GST and farm laws helped."

Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader

"We are not interested in helping Baba Ramdev, we want to protect the future of Manipur," Gandhi added.

(With inputs from NDTV.)