The head of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Swati Maliwal, arrived in Imphal on Sunday to meet with victims of sexual assault after being asked by the state government to delay her trip there a day earlier. She made an appeal to the government to let her do that.
“I will directly go to the CM’s Office. I want to meet chief minister, N Biren Singh. I want to meet the sexual abuse survivors and see if they have got legal aid, counselling or any compensation,” Maliwal said while speaking to ANI after landing at Imphal airport.
She also appealed to the state government saying that she has reached there to help the people of Manipur.
“Please allow me to do that. I have not come here to do politics. I request PM Modi and the Women and Child Development Minister (Smriti Irani) to visit Manipur. I will also try and meet the Governor,” Maliwal said.
A video of two women being paraded naked by a mob surfaced on social media a few days prior to this visit. The DCW chairperson claimed earlier, before departing for Imphal, that the state government had asked her to postpone her visit because the state’s law and order situation “is not good.”
“I wrote to the Manipur Govt that I want to visit the state and meet the survivors of sexual assault. I have received a letter from the Manipur government where they have suggested that I postpone my visit as the law and order situation in the state is not good,” Maliwal said while speaking to ANI.
The DCW chief further said that she has decided to visit Manipur, and appealed to the Manipur government not to stop her.
“Manipur government wants me to reconsider my decision. I gave it a lot of thought and decided to visit Manipur. I am appealing to the state government not to stop me but make arrangements so that I can meet the sexual assault survivors and provide help,” Maliwal said earlier.
Maliwal further asserted that numerous Manipuri girls had fled to Delhi due to assault and violence, adding, “I want to discuss these things with the CM and have sought his time.” Maliwal also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, pleading with him to act quickly to stop the violence in Manipur, safeguard the safety and dignity of all its residents, and help bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice.