Congress leaders condemn killing of Manipuri teacher in Delhi

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday condemned the killing of Manipuri music teacher Chongtham Vikram Singh in Delhi, expressing alarm over the safety of people from the Northeast in the national capital.

Kharge described the incident as a "merciless lynching" and a "chilling reminder" of what he called lawlessness under the BJP government. In a post on X, he said students, women, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities remain vulnerable, and that people from the Northeast continue to face discrimination. He also held Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible, asserting that Delhi has become a "crime capital" under his watch, citing NCRB data showing high crime rates in the city year after year.

Kharge offered condolences to Singh's family and demanded the "strictest action" against those responsible. He also accused the Centre of failing people from Manipur, both within the state and outside it.

Rahul Gandhi, in a Facebook post, recounted that Singh had gone downstairs to ask a group of men to lower the noise outside his home, and was beaten to death. "A father, killed outside his own home, in his own country's capital," he wrote.

Gandhi said the killing raises questions about the safety of people from the Northeast living in Delhi. "After many such incidents, every Northeast family in Delhi is asking the same question today — are we safe here?" he asked. He questioned the functioning of the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police, asking what they are doing to prevent what he described as "growing lawlessness," especially against people from the Northeast.

Gandhi conveyed his condolences to Singh's family and called for a swift investigation, insisting that those responsible must be brought to justice.