Amid a nationwide outrage over a video of two Manipur women being stripped and paraded, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan Friday said there is a need to take the strictest possible action against the culprits to build confidence among the people.
He made the remarks when he was asked about the Manipur incidents after the launch of former Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Punj's book "Narrative Ka Mayajaal" here.
In an apparent reference to the May 4 incident, a video of which went viral, Khan said, "Not just in Manipur, anywhere, if the law is broken, especially if some incidents happen with women, it can be nothing but shameful."
"But the real test is... incidents happen, but the real test is what action is taken against the criminals," he said.
"Whether the strictest action is being taken against the criminals or not, that is the main thing... So that there is confidence among people. That happens when you let your agencies work, and I think that is happening," he said.
More than 160 people have lost their lives and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley, while tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.