Cong steps up attack on PM over Manipur, Rahul vows to bring back peace

NT Bureau, Agencies

Senapati/Khuzama: On the second day of the Rahul Gandhiled Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the Congress on Monday stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting violence-hit Manipur and vowed to raise the issue in Parliament in the upcoming budget session.

The opposition party also defended the decision of its top leaders not to attend the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony, saying it was not an "atheist party" that it would oppose a temple or a religious programme but had declined the invite as it was a "political event".

The second day of the Yatra ended with Gandhi and other Congress leaders crossing over to Nagaland for a night halt at the campsite in Khuzama ground.

Dressed in his trademark white T-shirt and trousers with a traditional Manipuri sleeveless jacket, Gandhi dismounted from the bus several times on the Yatra route to speak to the crowds and discuss their problems.

He clicked selfies with them and also saw a traditional dance performance.

He travelled through Meitei and Kuki dominated areas over two days of the Yatra with many of these places having seen disturbing violence.

Gandhi also travelled through Kangpokpi under which falls the village of B Phainom where two women were paraded naked last May, a video of which had gone viral.