NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said it had become a “fashion” in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled India for powerful people to use violence and act with arrogance, as he vowed to seek justice for the killing of Manipuri musician Chongtham Vikram Singh.
Speaking at a memorial gathering for Singh at the Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, Congress Party leader Gandhi said violence and threats against people from India’s northeastern states had become too frequent.
“It has become a fashion these days that if you are powerful, you can be violent,” Gandhi said. “If you are powerful, somehow you can be arrogant, somehow you can do whatever you feel like.”
This is not a single incident. This happens all the time. Sometimes it doesn’t end in murder; sometimes it ends in insults, threats or violence.
It is happening far too often in our country. It is happening to people from the Northeast and to many communities across this… pic.twitter.com/gpw4cAocFd
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2026
Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in India’s lower house of parliament, described Singh’s death as a tragedy for his family and the people of Manipur. He said Singh had been targeted because of where he came from.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is a mistake or not. Whether he was killed or not, there was violence, hatred and arrogance in the act,” Gandhi said.
Former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who also addressed the gathering, said the killing was shocking and questioned how long people from Manipur and the wider Northeast would continue to face discrimination.
“We are not here for politics or political gain,” he said, adding that Manipur was an integral part of India.
Ibobi Singh accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of following a “divide and rule” policy and said people in Manipur would continue to demand justice.
Musician beaten to death in India
According to police, Singh, 54, was beaten to death early Monday outside his apartment in southeast Delhi.
Seven men have been arrested and a juvenile detained in connection with the case. Police say they are investigating the circumstances of the attack.
Singh’s wife, Joshna Chongtham, has said the family was seeking justice rather than revenge. His body was flown to Manipur, where his family performed his last rites on Wednesday.
Singh had lived in Delhi for more than two decades. He was the lead guitarist of Manipur rock band Phoenix and later worked as a music teacher and performer.
The killing has triggered protests and renewed concerns over discrimination, harassment and violence faced by people from India’s Northeast in Delhi.
Wider Manipur violence
Gandhi has previously criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the killing and questioned what Home Minister Amit Shah’s ministry was doing to address growing lawlessness.
The incident has also drawn attention to the continuing violence in Manipur, where ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted in May 2023.
Last week, Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam told the state Assembly that 306 people had been killed and 49 remained missing as of August 31, 2026.
The violence began after a tribal protest over a demand by the predominantly Hindu Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe status. Meiteis account for about 53 percent of the state’s population, while tribal communities, including Kukis and Nagas, make up about 40 percent.
President’s Rule was imposed in February 2025 after then-chief minister N Biren Singh resigned amid prolonged ethnic violence.
It was revoked in February 2026, when a BJP-led government was formed under Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh.
Biren Singh’s government faced criticism over its handling of the violence, including allegations of partisan policing and failure to prevent attacks.
Opposition parties and rights groups also accused the government of inadequate action and linked the crisis to BJP majoritarian politics.
A leaked audio recording also contained a voice believed to be that of Biren Singh discussing the use of bombs during the conflict and claiming responsibility for some operations.
