Sharad Pawar demands immediate steps from Centre to restore peace in Manipur

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday demanded that the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Home Ministry immediately take necessary steps to restore peace in Manipur, after shocking visuals emerged of two women being paraded naked in the strife-torn state.

Quoting Dr B R Ambedkar, Sharad Pawar in a tweet said, "Without humanity, your glory is worthless."

Distressing to see disturbing visuals from Manipur specially the atrocities against women, which is "despicable", he said.

"It's time to unite, raise our voices, & demand Justice for the people of #Manipur. Home department along with PMO need to immediately take necessary action to restore peace in Manipur," Sharad Pawar tweeted.

His daughter and NCP's working president Supriya Sule also said the situation in Manipur demands immediate action.

"Shocking visuals from #Manipur - sickening, disgraceful, and utterly inhumane treatment! The situation demands IMMEDIATE action!" the Lok Sabha member said in a tweet.

"Let's raise our voices and DEMAND accountability. Silence in the face of such atrocities is UNACCEPTABLE!" she added.

NCP's national spokesperson Clyde Crasto in a tweet in Hindi said, Bahut Ho Gayi 'Mann Ki Baat', Ab Karo 'Manipur ki baat' (enough of 'Mann ki baat', need to do 'Manipur ki baat')."

The 'Mann Ki Baat' is a monthly radio programme of PM Modi.

Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a few men from the other side.

Police said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants.

In a statement, they said an all-out effort is on to arrest the culprits at the earliest.

According to a spokesperson of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), the despicable scene, which happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, shows men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the incident of women being paraded naked in Manipur has shamed 140 crore Indians, asserting that law will act with its full might and no guilty will be spared.

"Today, when I am standing by this temple of democracy my heart is full of pain and anger," he told reporters in his remarks at Parliament complex before the start of Monsoon session and amid his criticism by opposition parties for not speaking on the ethnic violence in the BJP-ruled north east state.

"I want to assure the countrymen that no guilty will be spared. Law will act with its full might and firmness... What has happened to these daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)