"We need to first think about and resolve the issues at hand. The politics can come later," said Kaiku Rajkumar, a popular Manipuri actor who quit the BJP on 27 September over its handling of the Imphal violence.
Kaiku is a renowned figure in Manipuri cinema with over 400 films, including two Kuki movies.
He joined the BJP in November 2021 and contested the 2022 Assembly elections. Before that, he had contested as an indepedent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to The Quint, Kaiku says that he "can't stick with the party any longer because now is the time to speak up for our people."
Watch the video for the full interview.
Manipur's capital Imphal has been rocked by student-led protests after photos (dated 8 July) of the bodies of Hemjit and 17-year-old Hijam (both Meitei students) surfaced online. They had gone missing on 6 July and had remained untraced.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)