"Unfortunate, we should hang our heads in shame": Kapil Sibal on Manipur video

NEW DELHI: Terming the viral video of two women being paraded naked in Manipur as "unfortunate", Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said that we should hang our heads in shame.

"We should hang our heads in shame that this is happening in our country," Sibal said while speaking to ANI.

Taking note of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the horrific video, Sibal said, "The Prime Minister's remarks came after Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud asked the government to take action and listed the matter for Friday."

"Today, after the remarks of the Supreme Court, the PM gave a statement. Why is the Home Minister silent? What happened to 'Beti Padhao Beti Bachao'? Will you save daughters like this?" he added.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was “deeply disturbed” by the video which has emerged in which two tribal women were seen paraded naked and molested, and asked the Centre and State to take action against the perpetrators.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra said it was “simply unacceptable” and using women as an instrument in violence is unacceptable.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a video that emerged online yesterday, the bench asked the Centre and State to appraise the step taken on the issue.

"Simply unacceptable. Using women as an instrument in an area of communal strife to inflict gender violence is deeply disturbing. This is the grossest of constitutional abuse and human rights violations.

We are deeply disturbed by the videos which have emerged. If the government does not act, we will," CJI said. The bench said it must be apprised of the steps taken by the governments so that perpetrators are booked for such violence and what steps are taken to prevent such incidents in future.

A video of the two-month-old incident had gone viral evoking sharp reactions from various political parties and triggering outrage.

PM Modi, this morning spoke said he is pained over the incident and said the incident is "shameful for any civil society."

"No accused will be spared, we will never forgive those who are behind this," the Prime Minister said. Notably, the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that the state police has made its first arrest in the case.

“Last night at around 1.30 am, we arrested the main culprit,” the Manipur chief minister told ANI.

Manipur has been witnessing violence since May 3, following the protests by the Kuki and Naga communities against the High Court's order asking the state government to consider the inclusion of Meitei community in the category of Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Only STs can buy lands in hilly areas. The majority Meitei community, which occupy the Imphal valley and nearby areas, sought the ST status keeping in view their increasing population and increased requirement of land, so that they could purchase lands in the hilly areas.