Centre Asks CBI To Probe Manipur Horror Video, Wants Trials Outside State
Manipur: The video of two tribal women being paraded naked had evoked outrage.
New Delhi:
The case of the horror video from Manipur — which showed two women being paraded naked by a mob — will be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, sources have said. The Union Home Ministry has referred the case to the CBI, sources said, days after it evoked nationwide outrage and sparked a huge political face-off with the united opposition. Sources said the government also wants to run the trial outside the northeastern state, which has been witnessing violence for the last three months. An affidavit will be filed on this.
The video from Manipur, coming ahead of the monsoon session of parliament, generated a furore in the house, with the opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When the government made it clear that none was coming, the opposition took a circuitous route, pushing for a no-confidence motion against the government which has been accepted by Speaker Om Birla.
Opposition leaders said they know the numbers are on government’s side, but the aim of the motion, they said, was to compel the Prime Minister to speak on Manipur in the House, which would not have happened otherwise.
Sources said yesterday that the government is likely to seek cooperation for the Manipur discussion after the no confidence motion was accepted.
The Centre’s plea would be that now the PM’s presence has been secured by way of no-confidence motion, a discussion on Manipur should take place in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah would respond.
A key point in the government’s defence will be that after major violence took place in the state in 1993 and 1997, no statement was made in parliament in one case and in the other, the junior home minister had made a statement.
Their stance is that in absence of a precedent, there is no cause for the opposition to demand a statement from the Prime Minister.
The opposition contends that in view of the 140-plus deaths, injuries and displacements of thousands of people since the ethnic violence broke out in May, there is nothing more urgent that can demand the Prime Minister’s attention.
The government’s current move – calling for a CBI probe — is seen as an effort to firefight in another direction – the huge public outrage in Manipur – a BJP-ruled state — and out.
The violence in Manipur has even drawn attention abroad, with the European Parliament adopting a resolution on the human rights situation in India, with particular reference to the recent clashes in Manipur.
The government has said Manipur is a “internal matter. The European parliament’s move reflects a “colonial mindset” and is “unacceptable”, the foreign ministry had said.
