Democracy has turned into mobocracy: Congress slams govt over Manipur unrest

Shubhadeep Choudhury

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New Delhi, July 20

The Congress on Thursday demanded resignation of Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh over the deteriorating Manipur condition and said President’s rule must be imposed in the state.

Expressing shock over a horrific video of two women being paraded naked in Manipur, the Congress demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement on the Manipur situation in Parliament.

Other opposition parties also slammed the BJP in the wake of the video.

PM must make statement in parl

The demand of the 26-party INDIA is clear. The PM should make a statement on the developments in Manipur in both Houses. After this, there should be a discussion. —Jairam Ramesh, RS member

BJP questions timing of video on Twitter

How come a video of the first week of May surfaces on Twitter a day before the Parliament session? This raises suspicion. —Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP Spokesperson

“Manipur is burning. Women are getting raped and paraded naked and horrific violence is taking place,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a Twitter post.

“The Modi government and the BJP have changed democracy and the rule of law into ‘mobocracy’ by destroying the delicate social fabric of the state,” he said in another post.

Kharge said the Prime Minister had been keeping quiet despite growing violence in Manipur. He said after much outrage, the PM gave a statement today but it was done outside Parliament. Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said they wanted a detailed discussion on Manipur in both Houses of Parliament. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said PM’s silence and inaction had led Manipur into anarchy. “The INDIA alliance will not stay silent when the idea of India is being attacked in Manipur,” he said.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleged the BJP was not ready to disturb its own government in Manipur. “The BJP only knows how to protect its own government. I had asked for permission to visit Manipur but to no avail,” she added.