GUWAHATI: A 21-member opposition delegation comprising 21 MPs arrived in Manipur on to assess the situation on the ground in this northeastern state where ethnic violence has been continually raging for nearly three months
The delegation of the Opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or I.N.D.I.A is making a two-day visit to the strife-hit state that has been boiling since May 3, when the ethnic conflict was sparked off.
The delegation includes Gaurav Gogoi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress, Sushmita Dev of the Trinamool Congress, Kanimozhi of DMK, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha, along with JDU chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, among others. This is their first combined visit to the state after the formation of the Opposition alliance front INDIA recently to take on the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls of 2024.
The visit to Manipur by the Opposition delegation comes to the day last month when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a visit to the state on June 29-30. On his arrival in the state capital Imphal, his convoy was stopped by security forces and he had to take a helicopter to the violence-hit Churachandpur district from there.
The multi-party Opposition took the decision to send a delegation of 21 members of Parliament taken from 16 parties.
The delegation also plans to visit two relief camps in both places to assess the situation. The delegation is also scheduled to meet Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey later on Sunday morning.
The opposition MPs team had to seek the use of helicopters from the state government to visit Churachandpur, where fresh violence has been reported.
Ahead of Opposition's Manipur visit, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi claimed the collapse of the law and order situation in Manipur, "but for some reason, the PM cannot see the tensions in Manipur."
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked the govt not to do politics on this issue.
Another Congress MP Naseer Hussain said the Opposition’s decision to send MP delegation to Manipur is in order to convey to the affected people of the state that there is concern about their plight.
IUML MP ET Muhammed Basheer said their main intention is fact-finding, even as Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said that the plan is to bring peace and harmony between the communities.
RJD’s MP Manoj Jha said their intention is to tell the PM that they were making an effort to do what he and his team should have done.
"We are going to meet the people of Manipur and tell them that we stand with them and we are fighting for them. We asked for permission to meet the Manipur Governor also. We expect the PM to reply in Parliament after the discussion on Manipur," says DMK MP Kanimozhi, who is part of the delegation, said.
TMC MP Sushmita Dev, who is also part of the delegation, said they will try to meet members of both communities. “The people of Manipur need to be heard. It is the state government's responsibility to provide security to us…” she said.
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