New Delhi: The video of two Kuki-Zo women paraded naked and allegedly gangraped by a group of men in Manipur, has drawn sharp reactions from the Opposition, which has been questioning the Prime Minister's silence on the violence-hit state. The Centre today said it was ready for a discussion on the violence in the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins tomorrow.
Hours later, as the video started being widely circulated online, social media erupted in outrage. The Opposition, too, was vehement in their condemnation of the atrocities in the state and the government's inaction. From the BJP, Union minister Smriti Irani also condemned the incident and said she has spoken to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Congress's Rahul Gandhi squarely blamed the Prime Minister for the situation in Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3.
Calling the visuals "heart-wrenching", Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted, "Why is the Central Government, Prime Minister sitting blindly on the violent incidents in Manipur? Do such pictures and violent incidents not disturb them?"
"Tomorrow Parliament's monsoon session will start and it will end on Aug 11th. Will the Modi Govt allow for a discussion on the continuing horrific tragedy which is destroying the delicate social fabric of Manipur? Will the PM break his silence and take the nation into confidence on the way forward towards reconciliation?" tweeted Congress's communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh.
Calling parliament the "forum for PM's Manipur ki Baat," he said it was a "non-negotiable demand of INDIA," the newly launched Opposition alliance.
Trinamool Congress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party were also vocal.
Demanding that PM Modi make a statement in both houses on parliament, Trinamool's Derek O'Brien, in a video message, said if the Prime Minister does not speak, he would be responsible for the disruption that would follow.
"Enough of Mann ki Baat, time for Manipur ki Baat," he said.
A statement from Aam Aadmi Party read, "The inaction of the State and Central governments is painful for all the citizens of the country. We again request the intervention of the Prime Minister in Manipur. Turning a blind eye to the problem will not make it go away".
Union minister Smriti Irani also tweeted condemning the assault and called it "downright inhuman".
At a meeting of the business advisory committee ahead of the monsoon session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government was ready to discuss all matters in parliament, including the 2-month-long violence in Manipur, in which more than 80 people have died.
The shocking atrocity took place on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, some 35 km from state capital Imphal, according a statement by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF). "The despicable scene, which happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, shows the men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors... The horrifying ordeal suffered by these innocent women is amplified by the perpetrators' decision to share the video, which shows the identity of the victims, on social media," the statement read.
The Manipur police said a case has been registered and investigations are in progress. "As regard to the viral videos of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on May 4, a case of abduction, gang-rape and murder was filed at Nongpok Sekmai police station (Thoubal district)... Investigation has started. The state police is making all-out efforts to arrest the culprits at the earliest," the Manipur Police said in a statement today.
Many on social media questioned why the police called the perpetrators "unknown" since their faces were clearly visible in the video. Others remarked on the two-month gap between the incident and police statement after the videos surfacing in the social media. Many questioned what headway has been made in the case in this period.