'NEDA has failed': Congress in Assam hits out at Himanta over Manipur horror

Guwahati: The opposition Congress in Assam on Thursday hit out at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), over the May 4 video from Manipur that showed two women being paraded naked, claiming that the coalition has failed in all respects.

Addressing a press conference, Assam Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur said the incident is of utmost shame in a civilised society.

"The incident came to light 74 days later and the state government instead of arresting all the accused is still trying to cover it up. The Manipur government has no moral right to be in power," she said.

The BJP government in Manipur must be immediately dismissed and President's Rule be imposed, she added.

Borthakur said that Sarma usually comments and reacts on almost all issues but his silence on the incident in the viral video remains a mystery.

"Sarma, who is the NEDA convenor, has no answer as to why the Manipur violence has not been brought under control," she said. "The NEDA is of no use in the region and has failed in all respects," she claimed.

Sarma, meanwhile, tweeted a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on the issue.

A video shot on May 4 surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities in Manipur being paraded naked and molested by a mob from the other side.

Police on Thursday said it has arrested one person, allegedly the main accused, who was seen in the video.

More than 150 people have lost their lives, and several injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.