‘Racism has no place’: Biren Singh condemns assault on Northeast duo near Saket Court in Delhi

Former N. Biren Singh on March 9 condemned the alleged racial harassment and assault involving two individuals from Manipur and Assam near the Saket District Court Complex, saying such acts have no place in society.

Reacting to the incident in New Delhi, Singh said he was deeply disturbed by reports that a woman from Manipur and a transgender person from Assam were allegedly harassed and assaulted by a group of men near the court complex.

“Deeply disturbed by the incident of racial harassment and assault involving two individuals from Manipur and Assam near Saket Court in Delhi,” Singh wrote on social media.

He said racism and violence against people from the Northeast must not be tolerated and stressed that citizens from the region should feel safe and respected across the country.

“Such acts of racism and violence are completely unacceptable and have no place in our society. People from the North East must feel safe, respected, and treated with dignity in every part of our country,” the former chief minister said.

Singh also called on authorities to take immediate action in the matter. “I strongly condemn this incident and urge the authorities to ensure a swift investigation and strict action against those responsible,” he added.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also on March 9 strongly condemned an alleged racial assault on two people from the Northeast in New Delhi, describing the incident as “sickening” and urging authorities to take stringent action against the perpetrators.

The alleged attack took place near the Saket District Court Complex in the Malviya Nagar area on Sunday evening, where a young woman from Manipur and a transgender person from Assam were reportedly assaulted by a group of men in a park, raising fresh concerns over the safety of Northeastern residents in the national capital.

Reacting to the incident, Sangma said he was angered by the repeated attacks on people from the Northeast living in mainland India. “The physical attack on two of our people from Manipur and Assam near Saket Court, Delhi is sickening. Racial bullying should not be accepted as the new normal and we must act against it. Urge the authorities to take stringent action,” the chief minister wrote on social media.

According to preliminary accounts, the victims were taking a walk in the park near the court complex when a group of youths allegedly began passing racially derogatory remarks at them. When the woman objected to the comments, the situation reportedly escalated into a confrontation.

The victims alleged that the group then physically assaulted them, punching them and striking them with belts while hurling abusive slurs. One of the assailants allegedly used derogatory terms during the altercation. Sources also indicated that the victims had faced similar verbal harassment in the locality on earlier occasions.