Manipur CM Biren Singh defends internet ban in state, says 'hundreds such cases...'
The ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur became a significant part of the mainstream discourse this week as a video of two women being assaulted went viral. The duo - believed to be members of the Kuki Zo tribe - were paraded naked by a mob and sexually assaulted, with some reports claiming that they were also gang-raped. Chief Minister N Biren Singh however indicated on Wednesday that this was not an isolated incident. "There are hundreds of similar cases that are happening here.
That's why internet is banned in Manipur right now," Singh told India Today. Manipur has been under an internet ban since violence first broke out on May 3. The curbs have been extended from time to time and are currently in place till July 20. Earlier this month the Manipur High Court had order the a partial lifting of the internet restrictions.
The HC has directed the state government to carry out physical trials to check the feasibility of providing internet service to mobile phones while ensuring security of “life and property of citizens". The case is slated to be heard on July 25. Opposition leaders have also linked the now viral clip to the ongoing internet ban. “The rest of India had little clue that such a horrific incident occurred due to the ongoing Internet ban in Manipur," said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a lengthy Twitter post. Dubbing it a crime against humanity, the CM maintained that his government would not remain silent about this heinous crime.
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