Uddhav camp demands Smriti Irani’s resignation over Manipur video; ‘most incompetent minister’

A video of a two-month old incident of two Kuki tribe women paraded naked and sexally assaulted in strife-torn Manipur, emerged on social media Wednesday.

Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena Thursday demanded Union minister Smriti Irani’s resignation over the Manipur crisis, after the video of sexual assault of two women of Kuki tribe surfaced on social media a day before. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi labeled Irani, who holds the ‘Women and Child Development’ portfolio, as the “most incompetent minister in the country” and said the Opposition would raise the matter during the Parliament’s monsoon session, scheduled to begin today.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi speaks in Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (ANI)

Chaturvedi, speaking to the news agency ANI, said in a video, “...the most prominent issue today at the Parliament would be the Manipur crisis…the heinous crime of the sexual assault, which happened two months ago, has put the entire country to shame and is extremely distressing…Prime Minister Narendra Modi must break his silence on the issue.” (Parliament LIVE updates)

'Modi must answer'

She further added that Modi must answer the nation through the Parliament why there has been zero accountability on the strife-torn state, where ethnic clashes broke out on May 3. “…there was a drama previously that CM Biren Singh would resign…till date Smriti Irani, entrusted with women welfare, has not issued any statement until yesterday when she was forced to tweet, citing immense public pressure due to outrage over the video…” (Manipur outrage LIVE updates)

A visibly angered Chaturvedi asserted that it is a known fact that whether in India or anywhere else around the world, women are the worst casualties in violence-hit regions. “…till date, Irani did not bother to take stock of the plight of women in Manipur…I would like such an incompetent minister…the most incompetent minister of the country…must resign…this will be our first issue in the Parliament today.”

Massive outrage over Manipur video

The Shiv Sena leader’s comments followed after the massive outrage over social media on Wednesday night, after a shocking video of two Kuki tribe women paraded naked and then gang-raped by a mob emerged online. Following the criticism over the delay in action in the incident, the Manipur police clarified that a complaint was filed last month. Police said a case of abduction, gang rape, and murder has been registered against unknown armed miscreants in the matter.

Irani tweeted late night that she spoke to the Manipur CM, and an investigation is underway. The viral video has evoked sharp reactions from the public and the Opposition leaders, demanding the government’s accountability on the crisis, as hashtags such as ‘Manipur violence’ and ‘enough is enough’ trended massively on Twitter. Meanwhile, the central government on Thursday morning asked Twitter and other social media platforms to pull down the viral video as the matter is under investigation.

Ethnic clashes occurred in the state, triggered by a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) on May 3. The rally aimed to voice the Kuki community's opposition to the proposed inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.