Manipur video: Incident heart-wrenching but political bickering over it worrisome, says Mayawati

Lucknow: 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.

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."

1. मणिपुर में महिलाओं के साथ भीड़ द्वारा जो दरिन्दगी की गई वह अत्यन्त ही दुःखद, शर्मनाक तथा दिल को दहलाने वाली घटना है। राज्य व केन्द्र की सरकार को भी ऐसे आपराधिक तत्वों को इतनी सख़्त सज़ा दिलवानी चाहिए कि इस प्रकार के जघन्य अपराध की आगे कहीं भी पुनरावृत्ति ना हो सके।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 21, 2023

"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.

2. लेकिन इस घटना को लेकर अब जो राजनीति की जा रही है वह भी अनुचित एवं चिन्तनीय। संसद में इस पर जरूर सार्थक चर्चा होनी चाहिए। जबकि इस घटना का मा. सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने भी खुद संज्ञान लिया है जिसे दबाया नहीं जा सकता है। अर्थात् मणिपुर की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण घटना पर सभी को गंभीर होना जरूरी।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 21, 2023

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.

मणिपुर में अनवरत जारी हिंसा व तनाव से पूरा देश चिन्तित है तथा महिला के साथ अभद्रता की ताजा घटना खासकर भाजपा व उनकी सरकार को शर्मसार करने वाली है। वैसे तो राज्य में कानून-व्यवस्था काफी पहले से चरमराई हुई है, किन्तु क्या बीजेपी अभी भी ऐसे मुख्यमंत्री को संरक्षण देती रहेगी?

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 20, 2023

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.