A Rajya Sabha member on Wednesday alleged the “weaponisation of gang rape to spread a reign of terror”, speaking in Parliament on the Manipur video showing two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted by a mob.

Speaking during Question Hour, CPM MP John Brittas said: “The wanton killings and weaponisation of gang rape to spread a reign of terror have come to light very late. A video from May 4 was recently circulated on social media, of two women stripped and taken away by a rival community mob. Internet shutdowns lead to a breeding ground for fake news, misinformation and suppression of valuable information.” One of the two women was later gang-raped.

Brittas was making a special mention of the ill-effects of Internet ban, including in Manipur.

Brittas said it was ironic that people had to face the spectre of Internet shutdowns in a data-driven era. Internet was banned in Manipur on May 3 and was partially revoked on Tuesday.

“Fear of getting caught on camera can stop even the most dreaded criminal from committing a crime. Internet shutdown must be viewed in this context, especially in a violence-ravaged region: a blanket ban gives a perpetrator a sense of impunity that his targets are fair game without any mechanism for surveillance,” Brittas said.

The CPM leader cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India case that underscored the significance of the Internet in various aspects of life and livelihood.

Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress complained that his mike was switched off when he was speaking during the post-lunch session on Tuesday. He said it was a breach of his privilege. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Deputy Chairman Harivansh denied the allegation, but said a speaker should stick to the topic he is allowed to speak on.

Several members of the Opposition parties tried to ask questions to ministers about Manipur. When women and child development minister Smriti Irani was taking questions related to her subject, Dhankhar asked Congress leader Amee Yajnik to raise her question. Yajnik instead asked: "Whether the minister’s female colleague ministers are going to speak on Manipur."

A visibly angry Irani responded that her female colleagues had spoken not only about Manipur but also about Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. She challenged the Opposition to discuss crimes against women in Congress-ruled states.

Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned the absence of any question on Manipur in the listed questions since the beginning of the session. He said he had been told by several colleagues that their questions on Manipur had not been admitted.