It is a sad incident but the impression is given that it happens every day in Manipur, he said.
Guwahati:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday questioned the timing of the release of a viral video showing two women being paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur just a day before the start of Parliament’s monsoon session, claiming that politics was behind the leak.
At a press conference here, Mr Sarma claimed that rape incidents are much higher in some opposition-ruled states such as West Bengal, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh than in BJP-ruled Manipur or other northeastern provinces.
“The case (regarding the incident) was recorded a long time ago, video was available. It was leaked a day before the start of the session of Parliament. So there are sort of political things involved,” he added.
However, Mr. Sarma said in the same breath that it was a horrific incident and that it cannot be approved despite the timing of the video’s release.
“Regardless of the release date of the video, the incident must be condemned, the guilty must be punished – I have no problem with that. But you must not discredit all of Manipur or Northeast,” he added.
He claimed that rape incidents are less common in the northeast, especially in Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
“This is a sad incident but the impression is given that it happens every day in Manipur. If you compare rape incidents in West Bengal, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to Manipur, it is less in Manipur,” he added.
A May 4 video surfaced Wednesday showing two women in Manipur being paraded naked and harassed by a mob.
The alleged prime suspect was arrested on Thursday. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation across the country. The FIR on the incident was filed on June 21.
The parliament’s monsoon session began on Thursday.
More than 160 people have lost their lives and several injured since communal violence erupted in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis represent about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and mainly live in the Imphal valley, while tribes including Nagas and Kukis make up 40 percent and live mainly in the hill districts.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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