PM Modi ends silence, SC asks government to take action against sexual violence

We will give a little time to the government to act (on Manipur), otherwise we will take action if nothing is happening on the ground, says bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud

J.P. Yadav, TT,  New Delhi, 21.07.23:  It took the horrific visuals of two women being paraded naked, and a Supreme Court order for the two seniormost law officers to attend a Manipur-related hearing, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the Manipur violence, on the 79th day after it started.

Making one of his customary one-way media addresses, with no questions entertained, Modi said on Thursday that his heart was “full of pain, full of anger” at the “shameful” incident in Manipur.

“Today, when I have come among you and am standing near this temple of democracy, then my heart is full of pain, full of anger. The incident that has come to the fore in Manipur is a shameful one for any civilised society,” the Prime Minister said shortly before Parliament convened on the first day of the monsoon session.

“I want to assure countrymen that no culprit will be spared. The law with all its might will take one step after another. What has happened to the daughters of Manipur will never be pardoned,” Modi added.

That the Manipur video had rattled the government was clear from a rare gesture Modi made inside the Lok Sabha. He was seen walking over to the Opposition benches and speaking to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Congress members said Modi had enquired about Sonia’s health and that she had replied that she was fine now before quickly going on to press the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

“He was taken aback and said, ‘All right, I will see’,” Congress House leader Adhir Chowdhury told reporters.

However, with the government ready to allow only a short discussion on Manipur and resisting Opposition pressure to suspend all other businesses to debate the unrest, both Houses were adjourned without transacting any business.

Huirem Herodas Meitei, one of those accused of parading two women naked in Manipur on May 4, after his arrest on Thursday. Three more accused in the abduction-gangrape case have been arrested, taking the number of people arrested during the day to four, the police said on Thursday night. Raids are on to arrest the other suspects, officers said

Huirem Herodas Meitei, one of those accused of parading two women naked in Manipur on May 4, after his arrest on Thursday. Three more accused in the abduction-gangrape case have been arrested, taking the number of people arrested during the day to four, the police said on Thursday night. Raids are on to arrest the other suspects, officers said

Sourced by The Telegraph

Shortly before Modi spoke to reporters, the Supreme Court had passed an order seeking the presence of the attorney-general and solicitor-general at a hearing on Thursday morning relating to the Manipur violence.

Later, about half an hour after the Prime Minister’s remarks, a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said: “We will give a little time to the government to act (on Manipur), otherwise we will take action if nothing is happening on the ground.”

Long silence

Till Thursday, Modi had not spoken a word, not even to issue an appeal for peace, as violence between the largely Hindu Meiteis and mostly Christian Kukis left Manipur in flames since May 3, with over 150 people killed and 60,000 displaced.

During this period, Modi campaigned in Karnataka and then in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, discussed the Ukraine situation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and went on tours to Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia, the US, Egypt, France and the UAE.

He also delivered a couple of Mann Ki Baat broadcasts — one of which saw transistor sets being smashed at Manipur markets in anger at his failure to mention the unrest.

As Modi stayed silent, the US expressed its “human concerns” over the strife in Manipur and offered help, while the European Parliament ignored New Delhi’s objections to discuss Manipur and urged Indian authorities to protect all religious minorities.

But the videos that surfaced on Wednesday of an incident of May 4 — involving two Kuki women being disrobed and paraded on a village road before one of them was allegedly gang-raped — have now forced the Prime Minister to speak out.

While condemning the atrocity in BJP-ruled Manipur, however, Modi also alluded to Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, two poll-bound states where the BJP has been highlighting instances of crimes against women.

“The whole country has been insulted and 140 crore countrymen are feeling ashamed,” Modi said about the Manipur incident before urging all chief ministers to strengthen law and order in their states to ensure the security of women.

“Be it Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Manipur or any part of the country, maintaining law and order and respecting women should be put above any political debate,” he said.

Modi’s party has so far, however, refused to sack Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh despite demands for such action from visiting MPs, Opposition parties, activists — even the BJP’s ownKuki MLAs — who blame the strife on Biren’s policies and its continuance on his inaction.

If Modi confined himself to mere allusions to crimes against women in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spelt out what his supreme leader had left unsaid.

“Why are you silent on the incident in Jodhpur, Soniaji, Priyankaji and Rahulji?” Prasad, one of the BJP’s go-to men when it comes to attacking the Opposition, said.

“In Jodhpur district, a family of four was murdered and then set on fire. It included women. However, not a word has come from Priyankaji and Soniaji.”

Prasad went on to ask why the Manipur video, which purportedly records an 11-week-old incident, had been put out on Twitter just a day before the beginning of Parliament’s monsoon session.

In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition members pressed for the Prime Minister to reply to the discussion over Manipur but the government stonewalled the demand.

BJP sources later told reporters that Union home minister Amit Shah would make the reply.