Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday walked up to Sonia Gandhi in Parliament and asked about her health as the MPs assembled for the first day of the Monsoon Session amid the burning issue of the Manipur situation.
Sonia Gandhi said she was fine. The courteous exchange took place as the Opposition sharpened its attack on the BJP government after a video of two Kuki women being paraded naked went viral. The session is also the first opportunity for the united opposition to test the strength of INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).
Amid opposition’s demand to break the silence on the issue of Manipur violence, PM Modi on Thursday commented on the viral video of two Kuki women paraded naked. In his assurance of action, and condemnation for what happened, he made it a point to mention the situation of Rajasthan and other Congress-rule states where incidents of crime against women took place recently. The Congress said his speech was too late and too little and was full of jibes at the Congress.
Ahead of the session, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said PM Modi has time to attend NDA’s meeting but can’t go to Manipur. India will never forget his silence, Kharge said.
The political slugfest intensified after the formation of INDIA and triggered by the Manipur viral video did not disrupt PM Modi’s courtesy towards Sonia Gandhi. The Congress leader was last seen with an oxygen mask inside an aircraft — in a photo shared by Rahul Gandhi. “Ma, the epitome of grace under pressure,” wrote Rahul Gandhi.
The photo was taken when their aircraft made an emergency landing at Bhopal airport on their way from Bengaluru — after attending the meeting of the united opposition