Maliwal said she has sought time from the chief minister of Manipur, and will ask him to accompany her while visiting the survivors of sexual assault.
day after the state government allegedly denied her permission to visit Manipur, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal Sunday landed in Imphal to interact with survivors of sexual violence.
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After reaching the Imphal airport, Maliwal said that she has not “come here to do politics.” Further, the DCW chief requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani to visit Manipur. “I will also try and meet the Governor,” she added.
Taking to Twitter, the DCW chief urged the Manipur government to allow her to “meet sexual abuse survivors.” “Just landed in Manipur. I’ve sought time from CM @NBirenSingh ji. I hope he accepts my request at the earliest. I will directly go to the CM’s Office, I want to meet Chief Minister N Biren Singh. I want to meet the sexual abuse survivors and see if they have got legal aid, counselling or any compensation. I appeal to the Manipur Govt that I have come here to help the people of the state, please allow me to do that,” she said.
The DCW chief had earlier claimed that though she was initially given the go-ahead to visit Manipur, the government had taken a “U-turn”, asking her to postpone the visit in view of the law and order situation.
“After deliberation on their suggestion, (I) have decided to fly to Imphal as planned. (I) Sought time from Manipur CM. Will meet him and request him to come along to visit the sexual assault survivors,” Maliwal had said.
Maliwal on Friday wrote to the director general of police (DGP) of Manipur on her plans to visit the state following the surfacing of a video that showed two women being paraded naked by members of a rival community.
“They say there is a law and order situation there, that is why I want to go. The chief minister is saying there are 100 such cases. Has help reached such women? Where are they staying, and under what conditions? Has legal aid, counselling or compensation reached them? Are they being blackmailed? Are they safe? I want to go and help them,” Maliwal told reporters.
In her letter to the DGP, the DCW chief said she planned to visit the state on July 23 to assess the situation there and submit a fact-finding report.
On Thursday, Maliwal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, requesting him to take steps in the matter.
First published on: 23-07-2023 at 10:44 IST
