Akshay Kumar reacts to video of violence against women in Manipur, urges harsh punishment

Akshay Kumar was among the first Bollywood celebrities who reacted to the video of violence against women in Manipur. A clip shot on May 4 surfaced on Wednesday, showing two women being paraded naked and molested by an armed mob in the northeastern state. Police investigation on the matter is underway. 

3 things you need to know 

• Akshay Kumar called Manipur violence 'horrific' and said he was 'disgusted' by it. 
• In his tweet, the actor demanded strict action against the culprits. 
• Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani termed the incident “downright inhuman”.

Akshay Kumar demands strict action against the culprits

Taking to Twitter, the OMG actor urged legal action and harsh punishment against the culprits. His tweet read, “Shaken, disgusted to see the video of violence against women in Manipur. I hope the culprits get such a harsh punishment that no one ever thinks of doing a horrifying thing like this again."

(Akshay Kumar tweeted his reaction to Manipur violence on July 20 | Image: Akshay Kumar/Instagram)

Horrific video from Manipur surfaces online 

Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a few men from the other side, officials said here on Wednesday. The video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight.

According to a spokesperson of ITLF, the "despicable scene, which happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, shows men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors. "The horrifying ordeal suffered by these innocent women is amplified by the perpetrators' decision to share the video, which shows the identity of the victims, on social media." The police are looking into the matter. 

Manipur state has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between majority the Meiteis, concentrated in Imphal valley, and the Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far. (With inputs from PTI)