New Delhi, Jun 29 (IANS): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday came out in support of her brother and former party chief Rahul Gandhi after the latter's convoy was stopped in Manipur, saying he has gone to Manipur to share the pain of the people there and to convey the message of peace, adding that the BJP government should do the same.

In a tweet in Hindi, the Congress leader said, "It is the duty of every patriot to try and work for peaceand harmony.RahulGandhi has gone toManipurtosharethepain of the people there and to conveythemessageofpeace. TheBJPgovernmentshouldalsodothesame. Why does the government want to stopRahul Gandhi from going there?”

Meanwhile, addressing the media at the party headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate hit out at the BJP governments in Manipur and at the Centre.

She said: "Come what may,RahulGandhi will visit the affected areas and meet the affected people."

Targeting the government, she said, "It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who shouldbe visitingManipur, which has been burning for the last two months. Instead, his government is preventing leaders like Rahul Gandhi, who wants to provide a healing touch and wipe the tears of people affected by the violence in Manipur."

Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister, Shrinate said, "Modiji had all the time to campaign and review party programmes like 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot', but he had no time for Manipur."

Questioning the silence of the Prime Minister on the Manipur issue, she said, "Even after two months, the Prime Minister has not condemned the violence in Manipur, nor has he appealed for peace."

She added, "No matter how much the double-engine troublesome government may try to stop RahulGandhi, history is witness to the fact that he (Rahul Gandhi) has reached all those places he resolved to visit, be it Hathras or Lakhimpur Kheri, despite being prevented by the administration.

Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Manipur to meet the affected families taking shelter in the relief camps. His convoy was stopped in Churachandpur. He had reached Imphal on Thursday morning along with party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.