In his first public comments on the situation in Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed pain and anger over an incident of two women being paraded naked in the state, 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".
As the video of the incident of May 4 became viral, triggering nationwide outrage, the BJP and the Congress engaged in a verbal duel with the ruling party questioning the timing of the video surfacing on social media ahead of the Parliament's Monsoon Session and the opposition party asking the government to stop acting like "all is well".
Ahead of the session, Modi told reporters that the guilty in the "shameful" incident will not be spared and will face the full might of the law no matter who they were.
Modi’s remarks on the situation in Manipur, which has witnessed ethnic violence since May 3, also came amid opposition demands for a statement by the Prime Minister and a discussion in Parliament. The Congress also demanded the removal of state chief minister N Biren Singh.
"Today, when I am standing by this temple of democracy my heart is full of pain and anger. The incident in Manipur that has come to light is shameful. This incident will put any civilised society to shame," Modi said.
"The sinners and criminals, no matter who they are or how many there are, but the entire nation is disgraced. 140 crore people of the country are put to shame," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister appealed to all chief ministers to further strengthen the law and order mechanism in their respective states and take the most stringent action, especially in the cases of crimes against women.
"Be it an incident in Rajasthan, be it an incident in Chhattisgarh, or be it an incident in Manipur, in any corner of the country or any state ruled by anybody, the majesty of the law and dignity of women should be upheld," he said.
"I want to assure the citizens, no criminal will be spared. The law will take steps with its full might. What happened with our daughters in Manipur can never be forgiven," the Prime Minister said.
Hitting out at Modi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said,"after more than 1800 hours of an incomprehensible and unforgivable silence, the Prime Minister finally spoke in Manipur for a total of 30 seconds".
Ramesh said the Prime Minister tried to divert attention from the colossal governance failures and the humanitarian tragedy in Manipur by equating crimes against women in other states, especially those governed by the opposition while ignoring atrocities on women in states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat".
Senior BJP leader and former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party "condemns" the incident in the state and asserted that strict action is being taken by the state government in the case.
He, however, said the surfacing of the incident's video on social media just a day ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session is "surrounded by a lot of mystery".
"There is a question that comes to my mind about mysterious circumstances. Today we are in July. How come a May first week incident came up on Twitter...a day before the Parliament session began. This raises many questions when circumstances are filled with suspicion," Prasad told a press conference.
When a particular incident is "surrounded by a lot of mystery and suspicious circumstances about the timing part, you can draw your own conclusion", he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said the Manipur incident was shameful for the entire country.
Chaturvedi wondered whether the Prime Minister will speak in both Houses of Parliament on the Manipur issue or ask the Chief Minister of Manipur to “follow raj dharma and resign.”
"Will the Prime Minister ask the Home Minister as to why after 77 days of violence we still have no peace in the state? Will the Prime Minister ask the Women and Child Development minister why did it take a video to stir her into action while the FIR was filed in May," the Rajya Sabha member asked.
Meanwhile, WCD minister Smriti Irani said whether the incident is from Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh or Manipur, those who commit crimes against women will not be spared. She had spoken to state chief minister Singh last night over the May 4 incident and had told him that the assault on the women was "condemnable and downright inhuman".
Hitting out at the Centre over the violence in Manipur, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she was in talks with CMs of states ruled by non-BJP parties to send a delegation to the Northeastern state.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, she said "mothers and daughters" of the country are crying after seeing the May 4 video from Manipur that showed two women being paraded naked by a mob.
"This anarchy has to stop... It is due to the Centre's policies that the country is burning," she said.
She said the video has been taken down from social media after being forced by the government but the fact is already so many people have witnessed the barbarism.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh accused the Prime Minister of being silent over the matter. "An insensitive and cruel leader is leading this country. Manipur is burning and Modi ji is silent," he said.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said, "I am wearing black today to protest and stand in solidarity with the people of Manipur. The state is burning and the Union government is refusing to even acknowledge what is going on in Manipur."
Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan alleged that the Prime Minister broke his silence on Manipur for the first time after so many days resorted to politics.
"He had to break his silence due to the pressure of the people… It is sad that he broke his silence and kept aside Manipur, he talked of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," she said.
"We request the Prime Minister with folded hands to keep aside politics, that can be done later. But over 75 days have passed, the women and child development minister said she spoke with the Manipur chief minister, but the culprits have not been arrested. The Chief Justice of India has also taken cognisance, it is shameful. Did the prime minister speak out of shame," Ranjan asked.
DMK leader Kanimozhi said she was shocked and appalled by the brazen act of rape of two women in Manipur.
"This country has indeed suffered greatly due to the divisive politics of the BJP. The tense situation and the silence, along with the lack of management by the Union BJP government in addressing it, are all too evident," she said.
