Centre May Act Against Twitter Over Video Of Manipur Women Paraded Naked

Jul 20, 2023 Divya Bharat

IT ministry is working to ensure the video isn’t circulated further, sources said

New Delhi:

The government is likely to take action against Twitter over the horrific Manipur video of two women being paraded naked by a group of men, which went viral on Wednesday, triggering waves of outrage.

The government is likely to act against Twitter over the circulation of videos that “could lead to problems in law and order”, which are not permitted under law, sources said.

An order initiating action against the Elon Musk-owned social media platform for non-compliance was issued last night, sources said, adding that the IT ministry is working across platforms to ensure that the video wasn’t circulated further.

In the egregious video, two women are paraded naked and molested by a group that drags them to a field. The women were allegedly gang-raped later.

The incident took place on May 4, a day after clashes broke out between the valley-majority Meitei and the hill-majority Kuki tribe in Manipur over the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. The state has seen several incidents of violence and clashes for weeks.

Over 120 have died in the ethnic violence and thousands have been internally displaced and are now living in relief camps.

The video went viral yesterday after it was widely shared on social media, drawing massive condemnation and demands for action.

The police said a case had been filed. “We have identified the men and will arrest them soon,” a senior police officer told NDTV. The two gang-rape survivors came to the police some 15 days after the horrific assault. “They went to Kangpokpi, though the crime did not take place there. But we have got leads. We will catch the men in a day or two,” the officer said.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said he has ordered the police to investigate this case in priority.

Opposition parties have targeted the BJP, which rules the state, and are expected to raise the incident in parliament, which begins a new session today. The Congress has called for a discussion on Manipur.

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