'Shocked And Horrified': US On Viral Manipur Video, Says It Supports Govt's Efforts For Justice

The US has reacted to the viral video of Manipur women and said it was shocked and horrified.

Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department

Reacting to the viral video of Manipur women which sent shockwaves across the nation, the US said it was "shocked and horrified" while adding that it supported the Indian Government’s efforts to seek justice for them. The video showed two women being paraded naked and molested by a group of men on May 4 and went viral when it surfaced on social media on July 19, triggering massive outrage.

“We were shocked and horrified by the video of this extreme attack on two women in Manipur. We convey our profound sympathies to the survivors of this act of gender-based violence and support the Indian Government’s efforts to seek justice for them,” Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, told reporters at his daily news conference on Tuesday.

Patel was responding to a question asked by a Pakistani reporter on the violence in Manipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself noted that such violence against women is shameful in any civilised society, Patel said.

"And as we have previously stated, we encourage a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the violence in Manipur and encourage authorities to respond to the humanitarian needs and protect the lives and property of all groups,” Patel added.

Manipur Top Focus In Parliament

Manipur violence was the top focus of the Opposition, and with the emergence of the viral video just ahead of Parliement's Monsoon Session pressure mounted on the Centre to address the issue. After the incident, Prime Minister Modi, in his first public comments on the Manipur situation, said the incident pained hum and vowed to not spare the guilty. 

The issue has so far taken the centre stage in this session of Parliament and the Opposition has also moved a no-confidence motion against the government for the same, even as the Centre said it was ready to discuss the issue. The Oppostion demanded PM Modi to issue a statement on Manipur in both houses.

The alliance of 26 opposition parties, INDIA, had decided to move the motion in order to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak in Parliament on the Manipur violence, senior leaders of the front had said. Earlier in the day, BRS MP Nama Nageshwar Rao also submitted a notice to move a no-confidence motion against the Union Council of Ministers.