Manipur viral video: BSP chief says Incident heart-wrenching but political bickering over it worrisome

BSP chief Mayawati. File photo

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday termed the incident of two women paraded naked in Manipur "shameful and heart-wrenching" but decried the political bickering over it as unfair and worrisome, reported PTI.

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.

Four people were arrested a day after the video surfaced.

In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, "The atrocities committed by mobs on women in Manipur is very sad, shameful and heart-wrenching. The state and central governments should punish such criminals severely so that such heinous crimes are not repeated anywhere."

"But the politics being done on this incident is also unfair and worrying. There must be a meaningful discussion on this in Parliament. The Supreme Court itself has also taken cognizance of this incident which cannot be suppressed. That means everyone needs to be serious about the unfortunate incident," Mayawati said in another related.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo on Thursday said, "The whole country is worried about the continued violence in Manipur. The latest incident of indecency to women is especially embarrassing for the BJP and its government."

"Although the law and order situation in the state has already deteriorated, will the BJP continue to protect such a chief minister?" she said in a tweet in Hindi. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between the majority Meitei community, concentrated in the Imphal valley, and the tribal Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Thursday slammed the Centre over the incident, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the Narendra Modi government of turning democracy into "mobocracy". Kharge said "humanity has died in Manipur" and accused Modi of having "abdicated" his constitutional responsibility. "The PM has all the means at his disposal, including helicopter...but... Why are you not going there?" he asked.

Former Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti said, "Those at the top cannot feign ignorance. Fact of the matter is that they have unleashed rabid rabble rousing elements for their own electoral gains & dont know how to rein them in anymore."

"The north-eastern state has the double engine government of BJP. But still, it is burning for more than two months. What happened to the 56-inch chest of the PM? The violence in Manipur shows no signs of stopping," JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh said.

Delhi Women and Child Development Minister Atishi said, "Prime Minister Modi did not have the time to visit Manipur. He visited Japan on May 19, Papua Guinea on May 21, Australia on May 22, the US on June 20 and then France and the UAE. But he didn't go to Manipur. Even a delegation from Manipur kept waiting for him but he did not meet them."

(With inputs from PTI)