Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Thursday discussed the situation in Manipur with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the two leaders had a brief chat when PM Modi began the first session of Parliament’s monsoon session by greeting all MPs, reported PTI. She urged PM Modi to hold a discussion on the violence in the northeastern state.
During the Prime Minister’s customary media interaction before the Parliament session on Thursday, PM Modi said the incident of women being paraded naked in Manipur has put 140 crore Indians to shame. He sought to assure that the 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 said.
The Opposition has been slamming the PM over his “silence” on the ethnic violence in the BJP-ruled Manipur. “The law will act with its full might and firmness. What has happened to these daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” he said.
The main accused in the Manipur viral video case, where two tribal women from a particular community were paraded naked, was arrested on Thursday. Khuyrum Heradas, 32, was arrested in the Thoubal district after police identified him from the video.
The video, which was shot on May 4, a day after clashes broke out between the Meitei and Kuki tribes over the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status, surfaced on Wednesday. The video shows two women being paraded naked in Kangpokpi district in Manipur, which has been hit by ethnic violence.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said strict action would be taken against all the perpetrators and the government was considering the possibility of capital punishment.
(With PTI inputs)