Manipur burns, EU Parliament discusses it but PM hasn't said a word: Rahul

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for saying nothing about the Manipur issue or the European Parliament's discussion of it.

Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary of the Congress, criticised the Centre and the government for how it handled the Manipur situation.

"Meanwhile, Rafale gets him a ticket to the Bastille Day Parade," he added. Targeting the Centre, Ramesh said, "In January 1977 Richard Nelson a noted economist at Yale University published a very influential essay called The Moon and the Ghetto. It became required reading for people like me in graduate school. Nelson poses the question: why is it that a technologically dynamic America is able to land a man on the moon but is unable to meaningfully address its problems at home, especially in the inner cities."

"It is a deeply thought-provoking analysis not without its relevance to us too," the Congress leader said. "We can go to the moon but are unable or unwilling to deal with the basic issues our people face at home. An Indian version of the Nelson essay may read, The Moon and Manipur," Ramesh added.

India on Thursday described as a reflection of a "colonial mindset" a resolution adopted at the European Parliament on the situation in Manipur. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said such interference in India's internal affairs is "unacceptable".

Manipur has been witnessing violent clashes, especially between the Kuki and the Meitei communities for close to two months. Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to contain the violence.

With PTI inputs