Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said it had become a “fashion” in the country for the powerful to be violent and arrogant, as he vowed to fight hatred and seek justice for slain Manipuri musician Chongtham Vikram Singh.
Speaking at a memorial gathering for Singh at the Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said incidents like the “murder” of the musician were occurring too frequently and asserted that “we stand against it, will fight and defeat it”.
"It is something that has become a fashion these days that if you are powerful, you can be violent. If you are powerful, somehow you can be arrogant, somehow you can do whatever you feel like," Gandhi said.
Calling Singh’s death a tragedy on multiple counts, Gandhi said the musician was targeted because of where he came from and said the incident was also a tragedy for the people of Manipur.
"It is a tragedy on many counts. It is a tragedy that a young man has been murdered. It is also a tragedy that he was attacked for because where he was from, it is a tragedy for people of Manipur. People of Manipur have been facing huge tragedies again and again. It is a tragedy because his parents will never see their son again," the former Congress chief said.
"It doesn't matter whether it is a mistake or not. Whether he was killed or not, there was violence, hatred and arrogance in the act," he said.
Gandhi said violence should not be answered with violence, and urged people to respond by defending their values and expressing themselves rather than with anger and hatred.
He said Vikram Singh had become a symbol of love and affection and asserted that justice would be secured.
"We are extremely proud of him. We expect justice...we will get justice and we will not be scared or cowed down by violence," Gandhi said.
He also said the incident was part of a larger pattern of violence and threats against people from the Northeast and other communities.
"This is not a single incident. This happens now all the time. Sometimes it does not end in murder, sometimes it is a threat, it is happening too much in our country. It is happening to the Northeast people and other communities in the country. We stand against it, we will fight and and we will defeat it," Gandhi said.
Former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who also addressed the gathering, said the killing was shocking for the entire country and particularly for people from the Northeast.
"We are not here for politics or political gain. India attained Independence more than 70 years ago and still we are asked whether we are from. Manipur is a part of India and though small in size, it is a state of India. How long can we tolerate this type of attitude towards Manipur and the Northeast," he said.
Targeting the BJP, Ibobi Singh alleged that killings had continued in Manipur since the party came to power and accused it of following a “divide and rule” policy.
"Manipur people never bow down till they get justice," he said.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier this week criticised the Modi government over Singh’s killing, questioning what Home Minister Amit Shah's ministry was doing to address “growing lawlessness” and demanding a thorough probe.
According to police, Singh, 54, was beaten to death by a group of delivery workers and dhaba staff after he objected to them shouting and drinking alcohol outside his apartment in Kilokari village early Monday. Seven men have been arrested and a minor detained in connection with the case.
Singh, who had lived in Kilokari for more than two decades, was the lead guitarist of Manipur rock band Phoenix and later worked as a music teacher and performer in Delhi. His family performed his last rites on Wednesday evening after his mortal remains were flown to Imphal.
(With inputs from PTI)