Manipur Violence: Opposition Bloc For Probe By Retd SC Judge

New Delhi

With as many as 20 MPs of the Opposition bloc of I.N.D.I.A set to visit strife-torn Manipur over the weekend, its face-off with the Government is only likely to intensify both within and outside the Parliament.

Ahead of the visit, while Congress’ deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi called for an inquiry under a retired Supreme Court judge into Manipur violence. Gogoi’s no confidence motion against the Modi government has already been admitted by the Lok Sabha Speaker.

The Opposition MPs said they will visit Manipur to assess the ground situation first-hand and then make recommendations to the Government and Parliament for a solution to the problems in the violence-hit State.

The delegation will include Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi and Phulo Devi Netam, TMC’s Sushmita Dev, JMM’s Mahua Maji, DMK’s Kanimozhi, JD(U)’s Lalan Singh and Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPI’s Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)’s A A Rahim, SP’s Javed Ali Khan, IUML’s E T Mohammed Basheer, AAP’s Sushil Gupta, Shiv Sena-UBT’s Arvind Sawant, DMK’s D Ravikumar, NCP’s Mohammad Faizal, RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary, RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha, RSP’s N K Premachandran and VCK’s T Thirumavalavan.

“The BJP wants to give the picture that everything is fine in Manipur but it is not so with violence continuing. That is why we want that an inquiry should be conducted under a retired Supreme Court judge as to how did the state government fail, how did people got access to weapons in this quantity, what was the administration doing,” Gogoi said.

Opposition Black Protest I The Indian Tribal — **Opposition MPs In Black Clothes In Parliament To Protest Manipur Situation**

“The I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) MPs will go to Manipur and find out the truth and put forward that truth before Parliament,” he asserted even as Trinamool Congress’ Dev said the opposition delegation wants to give the message that “we are with the people of Manipur”.

For his part, DMK’s T R Baalu said the opposition delegation will be leaving for Manipur Saturday morning and will find out what went wrong, the extent of damage and loss of lives and property.

The Opposition bloc leaders, who had also worn black clothes as a mark of protest, had been demanding that their delegation be allowed to visit the state but till now they had been denied permission in view of the situation there. Parliament proceedings have taken a severe hit due to the Opposition-Government face-off over Manipur.

Update

7 Kuki-Zo camps to be relocated to tribal areas

The Union Home Ministry and Manipur’s Kuki-Zo insurgent groups have reached an understanding to relocate seven camps from near Meitei-dominated areas. The decision follows a second round of talks on Monday under the 2008 Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. “It has been agreed in principle that any relocated camps should be in tribal areas. The locations of the new camps in tribal areas will be discussed at a third meeting to be scheduled,” an official said. While Meiteis have opposed the pact blaming armed Kuki militants for involvement in the protracted strife, Kukis have accused Meitei groups, including Arambai Tenggol, of stoking the violence.