Top News

New Delhi: The opposition and the BJP traded barbs on Tuesday over the killing of a Manipuri musician here, with the Congress alleging that Delhi has become the "crime capital" and the ruling party asking where Rahul Gandhi was hiding when Sam Pitroda allegedly equated the Northeast people with the Chinese.

C Vikram Singh, a 54-year-old Manipuri musician, died after a group of delivery workers and dhaba staff allegedly assaulted him when he objected to their shouting and drinking alcohol outside his Kilokari village apartment early Monday, officials said.

Police arrested seven men and apprehended one juvenile in the case.

While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded a swift investigation into the death and that the culprits be brought to justice, the BJP hit back and asked where he was hiding when Pitroda, the chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, allegedly stated that the people of Northeast looked like the Chinese.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the "merciless lynching" of Singh, a well-known musician from Manipur, by a mob is yet another chilling reminder of the utter lawlessness under the BJP.

"Students are unsafe. Women face atrocities every day. People from Northeast India face discrimination. Dalits, Adivasis and minorities remain highly vulnerable. Under HM Amit Shah’s watch, Delhi has become a crime capital, with the NCRB recording highest levels of crimes in the national capital year after year," Kharge alleged.

Gandhi also lashed out at the Modi government over the incident and called for a swift investigation.

"Chongtham Vikram Singh ji, a renowned musician from Manipur, went downstairs to ask some men to lower the noise outside his home. He was beaten to death for it," he said on X.

A father, killed outside his own home, in his own country's capital, he said.

"After many such incidents, every Northeast family in Delhi is asking the same question today - are we safe here?" he said.

"What are Shah's MHA and Delhi Police doing to stop this growing lawlessness, especially against people from the Northeast?" he asked.

There must be a swift investigation, and the culprits must be brought to justice, he asserted.

Congress leader Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi spoke to the brother of Singh, a guitarist from Manipur, this afternoon to convey his deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

"Rahul Gandhi expressed his solidarity with the family and assured them that their demand for justice will not go unheard," Khera said on X.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the senseless murder of the renowned musician from Manipur in the heart of Delhi is a national shame.

"He was brutally beaten and murdered only for asking some people to make less noise. Is this what it’s come to? Is there no safety for a young father even at his own doorstep? Justice must be done," she said on X.

"The Delhi Police must immediately take action against those who committed this murder. This is the national capital, we cannot allow violence to rule our city unchecked. My heart goes out to Vikram ji’s family. We will stand with you in your fight for justice," she said.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Delhi Police has assured him that a chargesheet will be filed within eight to nine days in the killing .

He called for "strictest punishment possible" for those involved.

Rijiju said he spoke to Delhi Police officers, including those handling issues concerning people from Northeast, and was personally monitoring the investigation.

"Police have assured me that the chargesheet will be filed within eight-nine days," he said, adding that investigators would "not leave any stone unturned" in building a strong case against the accused.

He said the eight accused hailed from different states, including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

Calling Singh's death "very unfortunate", Rijiju said the police acted swiftly after the incident and tracked down the accused after they fled.

Asked about Gandhi's remarks, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia reacted sharply, "I want to ask a question to this rotten Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. When their leader Sam Pitroda said the faces of people from the Northeast resemble those of the Chinese, where did Rahul Gandhi go into hiding?" "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, every citizen feels secure and takes pride in being Indian," Bhatia said at a press conference here.

In May 2024, Pitroda triggered a controversy with his remark, "People of the east look like the Chinese and those from the south look like Africans".

The Congress, however, had distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks, describing them as unfortunate and unacceptable.

A preliminary enquiry revealed that Singh, who belonged to the Meitei community, objected to men creating a nuisance outside his house and sustained injuries during the attack.

The North East Students Society, Delhi University (NESSDU) condoled Singh's death and described him as a "respected" Manipuri musician.

"According to reports, Singh went downstairs from his residence in Kilokari, New Delhi, after a group of six men were allegedly drinking and creating a disturbance outside his apartment. When he requested them to lower the noise, he was reportedly attacked by the group and sustained severe injuries, to which he later succumbed," the body said. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)