Rahul Gandhi made his much-anticipated first speech in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday following his reinstatement as an MP. The address came during the second day of the no-confidence motion debate and began at 12.10 pm.
In his speech, the Wayanad MP expressed gratitude to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for his reinstatement and offered an apology for his previous comments regarding Adani, saying, “In my last speech in the House, I spoke about Adani. I might have hurt many people. So I apologize… today I want to assure my friends in the BJP that my main speech will not center around Adani. However, I will obviously have some criticisms.”
This was Rahul Gandhi’s inaugural speech after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in the 2019 Modi surname case, allowing him to regain his Lok Sabha membership.
He began his speech by quoting Rumi and declared his intention to speak from the heart rather than the mind, despite interruptions from NDA MPs. Gandhi embarked on discussing his Bharat Jodo Yatra, asking for patience from those present and stating, “Wait for a few more minutes if you have waited for a day.”
In Hindi, he said, “Rumi ne kaha tha jo shabd dil se aate hain vo shabd dil me jaate hain to aaj main dimag se nahi bolna chah raha hoon, main dil se bolna chaah raha hoon,” expressing his desire to speak sincerely and emotionally.
Gandhi then transitioned to the no-confidence motion brought by the Congress and other opposition parties. He accused PM Modi of neglecting Manipur, asserting that for Modi, Manipur is not part of India. He lamented, “I am saying Manipur but the truth is there is nothing of Manipur left in Manipur. You have divided Manipur into two parts.”
During his speech, BJP MP Kiren Rijiju stood up to interrupt and question Gandhi about the Congress’s actions in the northeast. This led to a commotion in the Lok Sabha, and Speaker Om Birla had to call for decorum.
Gandhi also spoke passionately about Manipur, equating the situation to a loss of “Mother India.” He said, “You have killed Mother India in Manipur. My one mom is sitting here and the other mother has been killed in Manipur. The Indian army can bring peace in Manipur in one day, but you are not using them. You want our soldiers to die. If PM Modi is not listening to the heart of India, whose voice does he listen to?”
His speech reflects a blend of an emotional appeal and a sharp critique, marking his return to the parliamentary scene with strong assertions and criticism of the current government.
