No-trust motion: Smriti Irani hits back at Rahul Gandhi says, 'You are not India because you define corruption, dynastic politics'

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the NDA government and said "You are not India, for India is not corrupt."

"You are not India because you define corruption and dynastic politics, retorts. India believes in merit not in dynasty and today of all the days people like you need to remember what was told to the British - Quit India. Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India. Merit now finds place in India," the BJP leader said.

Responding to Rahul Gandhi's comments on 'Bharat Mata ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki' (You killed Bharat Mata in Manipur), Irani fired back to say "Bharat maa ki hatya ki baat karne wale kabhi bhi mez nahi thapthapate. Congressiyo ne baith kar maa ki hatya ke liye mez thapthapaai hai... (Entire country has seen Congress leaders clapping and thumping desks when Rahul Gandhi spoke of the death of mother India).

Earlier in Parliament Rahul Gandhi said that, "Bharat ek awaaz hai, Bharat hamari janta ki awaaz hai, dil ki awaaz hai. Uss awaaz ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki. Iska matlab Bharat Mata ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki...You killed India by killing the people of Manipur. You are a traitor, you are not a patriot."

"Manipur is not divided, it is an integral part of India," Irani said in response to Rahul Gandhi's remarks that the state has broken into two parts

Irani further said that Parliamentary Affairs minsiter Pralhad Joshi, Union Home Minsiter Amit Shah and Defence Minsiter Rajnath Singh had repeatedly said that the government is ready to debate on the Manipur issue.

"The opposition ran away from it, we did not..." Irani said.

Gandhi, who was the first speaker today as the no-confidence motion debate resumed in Lok Sabha, also took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his first speech since his reinstatement as a member of the House after his disqualification following conviction by a Gujarat court in a defamation case, Gandhi referred to the Congress' accusations against the government in relation to the Adani-Hindenburg row.

"Speaker Sir, first of all, I would like to thank you for reinstating me as an MP of the Lok Sabha. When I spoke the last time, perhaps I caused you trouble because I focussed on Adani - maybe your senior leader was pained...That pain might have had an impact on you as well. I apologise to you for that. But I spoke the truth. Today, my friends in BJP need not be scared because my speech today is not on Adani..." Gandhi said.

The Supreme Court last week stayed Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the criminal defamation case over Modi's surname remark. He was on Monday reinstated as a member of Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha took up a debate on the no-confidence motion on Tuesday.