No-Confidence Motion: Smriti Irani attacks Rahul Gandhi over his 'murder of India' remark

Union Minister Smriti Irani was the first Speaker from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to speak on the No-Confidence Motion, moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday. She

New Delhi: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his "murder of India in Manipur remark" in the Lok Sabha saying this is for the first time in the parliamentary democracy that someone has made such a statement.

Speaking against the No-Confidence Motion moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, Irani, who is the Minister for Women and Child Development, observed that "Manipur is an integral part of India."

"I condemn the behaviour that was displayed. This is the first time that someone talked about the murder of India, and Congress leaders were thumping desks. Manipur is not divided, it is a part of this country. A member of his (opposition) alliance said in Tamil Nadu that India only means north India. If he has the courage, Rahul Gandhi should comment on this. Another Congress leader said there should be a referendum on Kashmir. Was the statement given as per the order of the Congress leadership that a leader talked about the referendum in Kashmir?" Irani said.

Continuing her attack on the Opposition, Irani, who represents the Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the stronghold of the Gandhi family, said "You are not India because you define corruption in India, you define incompetence. You are not India.

Making a mention of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', Irani said, "I will not speak on joint pains. The valley that India has seen to be soaked in blood, (but) when they went there, they were playing with snowballs. That was possible after Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi abrogated Article 370."

She also recounted the horrors of the Emergency to attack Congress, saying the grand old party's history is smeared in blood. She also raised the issues of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the unrest in Kashmir during Congress regimes at the Centre. (With PTI inputs)