Manipur violence: Congress, BJP take out candlelight marches in Jaipur

The Congress took out a candlelight march in Jaipur on Saturday evening protesting against the central government over the violence in Manipur.

The BJP also took out a candlelight march under its "Nahi Sahega Rajasthan" campaign against the Congress government.

The BJP march, in the Banipark area, was led by party national general secretary and in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh.

"People are suffering under the Congress rule and are ready to throw out the party from power. People are now saying: 'Nahi Sahega Rajasthan' (Rajasthan will no longer take it)," Singh said.

The BJP leader said that a protest against the Congress government will be held in Jaipur on August 1.

The Congress march, from Ambedkar Circle to Amar Jawan Jyoti, was led by party in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and state party president Govind Singh Dotasra.

Before the Congress march began, Randhawa told reporters that the incident of two women being paraded naked in Manipur on May 4, a video of which has surfaced this week, was "highly shameful" and accused the central government of inaction.

Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mentioning Rajasthan in his statement on the Manipur incident.

"Manipur is a part of the country but the BJP is not bothered by what is happening there," he charged.

The northeastern state of Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3, in which more than 160 people have died.