2-month-old video of 2 Manipur women paraded naked sparks outrage

A video shot on May 4 surfaced on social media on Wednesday showing two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in ethnic riots-hit northeastern Indian state of Manipur, Indian media reported.

According to ANI, quoting unnamed sources, the Indian government has asked Twitter and other social media platforms to pull down the video as the matter is under investigation.

Media reports said a senior police official of Manipur confirmed that the incident had taken place in Thoubal district on May 4, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

In a press note, Manipur Superintendent of Police Meghachandra Singh said, "The police are making all-out efforts to arrest the culprits," according to The Indian Express report from Guwahati.

The media reports said the two victims belong to the Kuki-Zomi community.

The Meiteis are the majority (53 percent) in Manipur while Kukis comprise 43 percent of the state's total population.

The incident drew widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Rameh, Sachin Pilot, Shiv Sena (Udhhav) leaders Aaditya Thackeray, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Trinamool leaders Saket Gokhale denounced the incident and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Manipur which has witnessed ethnic violence since May 3.

The incident came to light on a day when the monsoon session of Indian parliament begins and the Modi government is all set to face the heat from the opposition on the ethnic riots in the state.