US "Horrified" By Manipur Video, Says It Backs Centre's Justice Efforts

The US is "shocked and horrified" by the video of an extreme attack on two women in Manipur and supports the government's efforts to seek justice for them, a senior Biden administration official has said.

The video showing two women being paraded naked and molested by a group of men on May 4 in Kangpokpi district surfaced on July 19, attracting condemnation countrywide.

"We were shocked and horrified by the video of this extreme attack on two women in Manipur. We convey our profound sympathies to the survivors of this act of gender-based violence and support the Indian Government's efforts to seek justice for them," Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, told reporters in response to a question at his daily news conference Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that such violence against women is shameful in any civilised society, Patel said.

"And as we have previously stated, we encourage a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the violence in Manipur and encourage authorities to respond to the humanitarian needs and protect the lives and property of all groups," he added.

In his first public comments on the situation in Manipur, Prime Minister Modi last week expressed pain and anger over the incident, saying it has shamed 140 crore Indians and asserted that the guilty will not be spared even as the Congress termed his remarks "too little, too late".

More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

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