After Manipur Musician Beaten To Death In Delhi, Kiren Rijiju vs Rahul Gandhi Over "Playing Politics"

A college-going teen carried his injured father on his back and took a flight of narrow, dimly lit stairs to reach the ground floor fast so that he and his mother could dash to a hospital in no time. Minutes before that, a group of people had barged into their flat and attacked his father, Chongtham Vikram Singh, after he asked them to lower the noise they had been making at night while drinking at a dhaba near their house.

CCTV footage showed several men taking the stairs on their way to attack Singh, and moments later Singh's young son carrying his father on his back. The Delhi Police said seven men have been arrested and a minor has been detained.

Singh, who belonged to Manipur's Meitei community, had been living in south Delhi's Kilokri neighbourhood for nearly 10 years while he taught music in the city. He was a gifted guitarist, musician, teacher and an integral part of Delhi's music community, his friends told reporters.

Through his association with bands such as Ultra Vires, Phoenix, Eastern Dark and Fubar Ghetto and through his years of teaching and nurturing young musicians, he made a meaningful contribution to the cultural life of the city, Delhi Manipuri Academic Fraternity secretary Shanta Laishram said.

The murder of the 54-year-old musician, described as a humble and soft-spoken man by his neighbours, has sparked outrage across the nation - and also ignited a war of words among political leaders.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a post on X questioned the Union Home Ministry and the Delhi Police what they have been doing to "stop this growing lawlessness."

"A father, killed outside his own home, in his own country's capital. After many such incidents, every northeast family in Delhi is asking the same question today - are we safe here?" said the leader of the Opposition party.

In response, Union minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Rahul Gandhi for playing politics over the incident.

"This is not the time for politics. I keep asking why Rahul Gandhi brings the BJP into this? When an incident occurs, a tragedy resulting in someone's death, the focus should be on immediate action. This is not a matter for politics," Rijiju said.

He pointed out the Delhi Police has a special northeast cell and it acts swiftly to prevent incidents.

"People from the northeast region are Indians too. This is not a matter for playing politics. Action must be taken... Even though the suspects had fled, the Delhi Police arrested them very quickly. When I asked about the timeline for the chargesheet, the police told me it would be filed in court within eight to nine days to ensure speedy sentencing. It is crucial that the punishment be severe," Rijiju said. "Things are no longer as they used to be. We have put a system in place to take swift measures. Consequently, whenever an incident involving people from the northeast occurs in Delhi, immediate action is taken."

The Union minister, who himself is a resident of Arunachal Pradesh, said that while the altercation itself could not be prevented - since it happened at night and went unnoticed - the police took immediate action once Singh's son dialled the control room.

"We want the punishment to be extremely harsh so that people understand such incidents cannot be taken lightly. I extend my condolences and pay tribute to Vikram Singh's family. I also assure you that the proceedings will be swift and the action taken will be stringent," he said.

The murdered musician's wife, Joshna Chongtham, is devastated and struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband.

"... His sudden death has left a loss that cannot be expressed in words. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and concern from family, friends and people across the country and for the support shown by the Delhi Police, leaders and public representatives," she said and requested that her family "be allowed to grieve in peace and privacy."

"We also ask the authorities to ensure fair and impartial investigation and to hold everyone responsible and accountable under the law. We are not seeking revenge. We are seeking justice. He had a name, a family and a life that mattered. We ask only that his memory be respected. Our grief be given dignity and justice be done. And this should not happen to others' families as well," she said.