Manipur musician’s killing in Delhi sparks Rahul Gandhi-BJP row over Northeast safety
The killing of Manipuri musician Chongtham Vikram Singh in Delhi has triggered a political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi questioning the Centre over law and order and the BJP accusing him of politicising a tragic incident.
Singh, a 54-year-old musician from Manipur, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of men, including delivery workers and dhaba employees, after he objected to loud shouting and drinking outside his residence in Kilokari village in southeast Delhi late Sunday night. Police have arrested seven people and detained a juvenile in connection with the case.
According to police and the FIR, Singh had previously objected to the group’s disruptive behaviour and had allegedly been threatened. On the night of the incident, he again confronted the men over the disturbance outside his home. The confrontation escalated, and Singh was allegedly assaulted.
He was rushed to Holy Family Hospital by his son, Yaiphaba, but succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Police have registered a case at Sunlight Colony Police Station and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal assault.
Singh had lived in Kilokari for several years and was regarded as a respected musician from Manipur. He was also associated with the early rock music scene in the state and had played with bands including Phoenix and Eastern Dark before moving to Delhi.
The incident sparked a strong political reaction on Tuesday.
Rahul Gandhi condemned the killing and questioned the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police over the safety of people from the Northeast living in the national capital.
In a post on X, Gandhi said Singh had gone downstairs to ask a group of men to lower the noise outside his home and was allegedly beaten to death. He questioned whether families from the Northeast could feel safe in Delhi and asked what Home Minister Amit Shah’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the Delhi Police were doing to address what he described as “growing lawlessness”.
Gandhi also called for a swift investigation and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. He later spoke to Singh’s brother and conveyed his condolences to the family, according to Congress leader Pawan Khera.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also attacked the BJP-led government over the incident, describing it as evidence of what he termed “utter lawlessness” in Delhi and raising concerns over the safety of people from the Northeast and other vulnerable communities.
The BJP, however, hit back at Gandhi and accused him of attempting to turn the incident into a political issue.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned why Gandhi was bringing the BJP and the Union government into the matter, arguing that the immediate priority should be ensuring justice for Singh and taking action against those responsible.
“This is not the time for politics,” Rijiju said, stressing that Delhi Police had acted promptly after the incident. He said that all eight accused involved in the case had been apprehended and that the police were expected to proceed with the investigation and file a chargesheet.
The BJP also raised a separate political counterattack, asking where Rahul Gandhi was when Congress leader Sam Pitroda faced criticism over his earlier remarks describing people from the Northeast as resembling Chinese.
The BJP's response came after Gandhi specifically linked Singh’s death to broader concerns about the safety of Northeastern communities in Delhi. The party argued that the incident should be treated as a criminal matter rather than used as a political attack on the Union government.
The case has also drawn reactions from leaders in the Northeast. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has written to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta seeking a high-level, fair and time-bound investigation into Singh’s death.
Singh’s death has meanwhile caused considerable distress among Delhi’s Northeastern community, with concerns being raised over discrimination, violence and the safety of people from the region living in the capital.
The North East Students Society of Delhi University described Singh as a respected Manipuri musician and said, according to reports, that he had gone downstairs after a group of men were allegedly drinking and creating a disturbance outside his residence. When he asked them to lower the noise, he was allegedly attacked and sustained fatal injuries.
The police investigation will now focus on reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the assault, examining CCTV footage and statements from witnesses, and determining the individual roles of those arrested.
With seven adults arrested and a juvenile detained, the immediate political focus has shifted to the larger question of safety in Delhi and whether the killing reflects a wider pattern of violence or discrimination faced by people from the Northeast.
