The Congress on Friday asked how it was possible that Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh and Union home minister Amit Shah did not know about the horrific incident of a mob publicly parading two women naked.

“Amit Shah stayed in Manipur for three days and he claimed that he met all the groups. Nobody told him what was happening in the state?” Congress leader Pramod Tewari asked.

Tewari, the Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, added: “What was the intelligence agency doing? The chief minister now says hundreds of such incidents happened. Did he hide these incidents from Shah at that time? Why was the governor silent?”

Shah reached Manipur on May 29 and stayed there till June 2. This incident of torture and gang rape happened on May 4. If Shah knew about it, he would have briefed the Prime Minister who expressed shock over the video circulating on social media only on Thursday. Tewari asked: “Did Shah hide it from the nation? Why did Modi speak about it only after the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the horror?”

It is implausible that the chief minister didn’t know what happened because a formal FIR had been registered on May 18. Reports suggest that the National Commission of Women (NCW) was aware of the incident but chose not to make it public or initiate action on the complaints.

Newslaundary, a portal, has reported that two Kuki groups had complained to the NCW and its chairperson Rekha Sharma on June 12, explaining in detail what happened. The complaints listed specific details about other incidents as well, corroborating the chief minister’s admission about the occurrences of hundreds of such incidents.

Congress’s media department head Pawan Khera said: “If one viral video shook the nation, compelling even the Prime Minister to break his silence, imagine what would happen if people came to know about hundreds. If the media shows the true picture instead of acting as the government’s shield, imagine what would happen.”

Khera added: “Governor Anusuiya Uikey, who has now said she was distressed and had never seen such violence in her life, is the head of the peace committee. Didn’t she know about the incident? She called the DGP yesterday, why not then? Can you see the difference in the actions of the governor in Opposition-ruled states and BJP-ruled states? Why did the NCW not even send an acknowledgement of the complaints? From top to bottom, nobody is observing Rajdharma. We now appeal to President Droupadi Murmu to intervene.”

Responding to the BJP’s desperate attempts to create a false equivalence between Manipur and other states such as Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bengal, Khera said: “Prompt actions are taken against criminal activities in these states. In Jodhpur, the culprit was arrested within two hours after the rape and murder. That was an outcome of a family dispute and the accused turned out to be the nephew who was arrested. In the other gang rape in a college, all three accused were arrested. They were linked to the ABVP (the BJP’s student wing).”

He added: “In Bengal, did you ever see the chief minister coming out in support of rapists? The country saw for the first time in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir that BJP leaders and ministers took out a rally in support of rapists. National Crime Records Bureau data shows BJP-ruled states are topping the chart in crimes against women.”

Tewari dismissed the government’s claim about the Opposition running away from debate in Parliament on Manipur, saying: “There is a limit to lying. We are giving notices for debate every day. We want suspension of other business to debate Manipur for the whole day while the government is ready to allow a short-duration discussion on the day of its convenience.”

The Opposition wants to debate the issue under an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha. Both these rules entail suspending all business to take up an urgent matter along with voting in the end which will make it clear who stands where. The Opposition will like to adopt a resolution through a vote to reflect the mood of both Houses.

This is not acceptable to the government as some of the friendly parties such as the BJD, Akali Dal, BRS, AIADMK and the BSP may not be comfortable standing with the BJP on this issue. Also, the short-duration discussions have to be completed within two-and-a-half hours while the rules preferred by the Opposition give unlimited time.