'Political opportunist': Amit Malviya targets Rahul Gandhi on his Manipur visit

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya has hit out at Rahul Gandhi, a day after he was booked for a tweet showed an animated video allegedly mocking Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. Malviya, who targeted the former MP, said on Thursday that Rahul's visit to Manipur was not out of concern for people but to further his own selfish political agenda. The BJP leader also called Rahul a "political opportunist."

"Not once did Rahul Gandhi visit Churachandpur in Manipur between 2015-17, to meet the victims of ethnic violence, that raged following Congress CM Okram Ibobi Singh Govt’s decision to pass three Bills – the Protection of Manipur People’s Bill, 2015, Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, which were seen by the people of Churachandpur district, comprising mostly of Paites and Kukis, as 'anti-Tribal', and a 'conspiracy' by the majority Meitei community to grab Tribal land," the tweet read. 

Malviya said that nine young men were shot dead and the protesting communities refused to cremate them for two long years. 

"Why didn’t Rahul Gandhi visit Manipur then? He is no messiah of peace just a political opportunist who wants to keep the pot boiling. His visit to Manipur is not borne out of concern for people but his own selfish political agenda. There is a reason no one trusts either him or the Congress," he alleged. 

He said that the All Manipur Students Union had blamed the Congress for the problems faced by Manipur. "It should have been embarrassing but then Rahul is incorrigible," he said. 

Malviya's attack on Rahul came as the latter arrived at Manipur to meet people displaced in the ethnic strife. More than 100 people  lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.

This comes as Karnataka police registered an FIR against BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya for "promoting enmity within groups" and "instigating people" over a video that he posted allegedly mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on social media. BJP dubbed the move an abuse of power.

Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani too hit out against the Congress, stating her party is "in receipt of information with regards to an FIR against a position taken by the BJP with regards to Rahul Gandhi's US visit". She said it shows that the Gandhi family "has again given proof of how far it can go to suppress the truth if it gets power."