Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday hit out at the BJP for comparing the situation in Manipur to that of Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan stating that even if it is admitted that there have been “incidents of violence against women in Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan”, they can't be compared with the “relentless violence in Manipur”.
The BJP has been raising the incidents of atrocities against women in West Bengal, Rajasthan and Bihar and questioning the "silence" of the opposition, which has termed it as a diversionary tactic to avoid debate on the situation in violence-hit Manipur.
Chidambaram's remark came a day after Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that there was a long list of heinous crimes against women in states ruled by opposition parties such as Rajasthan, West Bengal and Bihar but now they were playing politics over the Manipur incident.
'Let's admit...'
In a long Twitter post, Chidambaram said, "Let's admit that there were incidents of violence against women in Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan. How does that excuse the continuing and relentless violence in Manipur?" "Are there any Kukis left in the valley? Are there any Meiteis left in Churachandpur and other hill districts of Manipur?" the former home minister said. He said that if reports are true, ethnic cleansing is almost complete in Manipur.
“On an objective assessment, there is a collapse of Constitutional government in Manipur The writ of the chief minister and his ministers does not run beyond their homes and offices… The central government has not only been incompetent and partisan, it is callous and cruel when it hides behind the smokescreen of odious comparisons,” he further said.
'...does not excuse barbarism that is taking place in Manipur'
Chidambaram said if stern action is required in Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan, certainly instruct the state governments to take stronger action, but that does not excuse the barbarism that is taking place in Manipur. "The government of Manipur has collapsed. The government of India is in a self-induced coma," he said.
Politics over Manipur viral video
The Opposition has mounted a fresh attack on the government after a May 4 video of women being paraded naked and assaulted by a group of men went viral on July 19. Six people including a minor have been arrested/detained so far involving the incident.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday questioned the timing of the release of the viral video, just a day before the commencement of Parliament's monsoon session, and claimed that politics was behind the leak. He claimed that incidents of rape are much higher in some opposition-ruled states like West Bengal, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh than BJP-ruled Manipur or other northeastern provinces. "The case (regarding the incident) was registered long back, video was available. It was leaked a day before the commencement of the Parliament session. So, some kind of political things are involved," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed anguish over the Manipur violence. Speaking on the video that showed two women being paraded naked in Manipur, PM Modi said thatr he is filled with and termed the "shameful for any decent society".He also assured assured the people of teh country that the accused will not be spared. “I am filled with anguish and anger. The incident of Manipur brings shame to the society,” said PM Modi ahead of the start of Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the PM for not making a statement inside the Parliament. "If you were angry then instead of making false equivalence with Congress-governed states, you could have first dismissed your Chief Minister of Manipur," he tweeted.
However, Chief Minister N Biren Singh has assured strict action against the accused persons and said that his government will try to ensure the death penalty for them.
Manipur violence
More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur 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. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.
