Speaking on the unrest in Manipur, Home Minister Amit Shah said while addressing the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 9 August that while the events which took place in the northeastern state are "shameful," what is more shameful is the politics being played over the issue.
"I agree with the Opposition that there has been unprecedented violence in Manipur. Nobody can stand for that. The events have shamed humanity. But what's more shameful than the events in Manipur is the politics around them," he said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had brought peace to the northeast.
On Opposition protests: Shah also slammed the Opposition, saying that they did not let him speak on the Manipur issue since the Monsoon Session began.
"The Opposition has not let the Home Minister present his side on such a sensitive issue. What kind of a behaviour in a democracy is this?" he said.
Demands for CM's resignation: Further, on the demands for Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh's resignation, Shah said that a CM is sacked when he does not cooperate, but Singh has been cooperating.
Sexual assault video: He also spoke on the shocking video of sexual assault from Manipur, in which two women were seen being paraded naked, and questioned the timing at which the video came to public attention.
"How did this video come a day before the Session? If anybody had the video, should it have been given to the police? Should it have been made public? Should the woman's dignity not have been taken into consideration?" he said.
Security arrangements: Shah also said that 1,106 FIRs had been registered in connection with the violence in the state and 14,898 people arrested.
Further, he said that when the violence broke out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him at 4:00 AM and again at 6:30 AM. "16 video conference calls were held, 36,000 CAPF personnel were sent there, used IAF planes, Chief Secretary, DGP, security advisor was changed," Shah said.
Appeal for peace: Further, the Home Minister appealed to both Meitei and Kuki communities to engage in dialogue, saying that violence was not a solution to their problems.
"I assure you that we will bring peace in the state. Politics should not be done on this issue," he said.
'Shah Acknowledging His Incompetence...': Congress Hits Out
Meanwhile, the Congress slammed Shah for questioning the timing at which the shocking sexual assault video from Manipur emerged.
"It’s absolutely shameful that the Home Minister is questioning the “timing” of the release of the horrific video from Manipur. By claiming on the floor of the Parliament that the intelligence agencies did not know about the existence of such a video, he’s only accepting his own incompetence as the Home Minister of India," Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
"He’s also inadvertently admitting the absolute unworthiness of the Chief Minister of Manipur," Ramesh added.
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