Opposition MPs visit violence-hit Manipur: ‘Sleeping like Kumbhkaran…’
Manipur Opposition Visit News Updates: A delegation of 21 MPs from I.N.D.I.A. arrived in Imphal to assess the situation in the ethnic strife-hit state.
A multi-party delegation of the Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or I.N.D.I.A arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation in the northeastern state where ethnic violence began on May 3. The Opposition has decided to send a delegation of 21 members of Parliament from 16 parties to the state.
They would also visit two relief camps in both places to assess the situation. The delegation will also meet Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey on Sunday morning.
The team of the opposition MPs has sought the use of helicopters locally from the state government to visit Churachandpur, where fresh violence has taken place.
Top updates on who said what ahead of Opposition's Manipur visit
1. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi claimed that law and order situation has collapsed in Manipur "but for some reason, the PM cannot see the tensions in Manipur."
"In the coming week, we want to keep before Parliament what the concerns of people of Manipur.... Those who used to talk about one India have created two sides in Manipur...," Gogoi told reporters at the Delhi's IGI airport.
2. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “Don't do politics on this issue...Till now, the PM has not even tried to visit Manipur. Was the government sleeping like Kumbhkaran till now? Today, after a jolt from the Opposition the Centre has woken up.”
3. Congress MP Naseer Hussain the Opposition’s decision to send MPs' delegation to Manipur is aimed at sending a message to the affected people of the state "that there is concern about their plight" and the Opposition MPs have come to meet them.
4. "Our main intention is fact-finding", IUML MP ET Muhammed Basheer said. "We are getting terrible news such as harassment, naked-parading. So we will have a discussion with concerned officials also, we will visit affected areas and meet the victims. We want to console them and spread a message of harmony. We will have further discussions with the concerned stakeholders. We will come back and raise the issue with all the experience we gather from there," he said.
5. While Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said, “The plan is to bring peace and harmony between the communities.”
6. CPI MP P Santhosh Kumar said, "Tomorrow, a group of MPs belonging to different political parties who are part of I.N.D.I.A will be going to Manipur. It will be a two-day visit and we will try to cover as many camps and affected areas as possible. This visit is to give a message that team I.N.D.I.A is not just an alliance for election but it is an alliance to raise people's voice."
7. RJD MP Manoj Jha said they wanted to tell the PM that, "We are making an effort to do what he and his team should have done. We are going there with a small motive - to understand the collective pain of the people of Manipur and perhaps present that pain sensitively when the PM comes to the Parliament. That is our aim."
8. "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.
9. TMC MP Sushmita Dev, who is also part of the delegation of MPs, said, “We 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…”
10. The 21-member Opposition delegation, from both Houses, includes Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh and Phulo Devi Netam of the Congress; Rajiv Ranjan Lalan Singh of the JDU; Sushmita Dev from Trinamool Congress; Kanimozhi from DMK; Sandosh Kumar of the CPI; AA Rahim from CPI(M), Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD; Javed Ali Khan of SP; Mahua Maji of JMM; PP Mohammed Faizal of NCP; Aneel Prasad Hegde of JDU, ET Mohammed Basheer of IUML; NK Premachandran of RSP; Sushil Gupta of AAP; Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT); D Ravikumar of VCK; Thiru Thol Thirumavalavan also of VCK; and Jayant Singh of the RLD.