Manipur video: Punjab CM urges PM to ensure exemplary action against perpetrators

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday condemned the parading of two women naked in Manipur and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure exemplary action against the perpetrators.

Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing the two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a few men from the other side.

In a tweet on Thursday, Mann said such incidents "cannot be tolerated in our society".

"Attention needs to be given to the situation in Manipur which is deteriorating day by day," the chief minister tweeted in Hindi, seeking exemplary action in the matter.

Later in a statement, Mann said it is unfortunate that the hapless women became victims of this heinous crime against humanity.

This barbaric incident is a blot on the conscience of the nation and needs to be condemned by one and all, he said.

The CM said such offenders do not deserve leniency and should be given the severest of the severe punishment.

The Prime Minister should intervene immediately and the Centre and state government should ensure the accused are brought to book at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also condemned the Manipur incident.

"Shocked by the ghastly, shameless and brutal crimes committed against women in #Manipur as exposed through the video on social media. It is an outrage against humanity and against the women's right to live with dignity & honour," he said in his tweet.

"A huge national disgrace before the international community, it must shake our national conscience. Time to ponder where have we brought ourselves and how low will we fall! I welcome Supreme Court's suo motto intervention and urge Union Home Minister & state CM to ensure exemplary punishment to the guilty regardless of who or how high they are must exposes forces behind such acts," he said.

The video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight. The Manipur Police on Thursday arrested one of the main accused who was seen in a May 4 video of two tribal women being paraded naked and molested by a mob at a village in Senapati district, officials said.

They said several police teams were formed immediately after the video of the incident surfaced.